Name of nation:
Sorenio Republiqa duo Azula Coatl
or
The Flowering Republic

Name of leader:
Rodreigo Moreango Pedro duo Montagonea

Brief introduction to leader:
Rodreigo Moreango Pedro duo Montagonea, referred to as well as the Duego Rogreigo, Moreango, or Pedro is the current head – Patrico – of the Montagonea family, a wealthy family cartel trading abroad in exotic spices, porcelains abroad and salt at home. Elected as the Duego of the Republic of the Azul Coast in his fiftieth year. A coldly moral man, he presides over the Flowering Republic with an unwavering sense of what he considers to be ethical. Over his seventeen year tenure he has had three major heads of the oligarchical families put to death over perceived violations of the Republic. While this has netted him a lot of his enemies, the expansive breadth of the Montagonea family and its wealth as access to its own substantial private army has thus far retained a sense of political balance within the streets of the capital of Porto Saolo Grosso.

Name of other character:
I would really rather save this for when the IC starts. I have my reasons.

Culture:
The Sorenio Republiqa duo Azula Coatl is not also known as the Flowering Republic without reason. Nestled in the eternal summer of the south the inhabitants – rich or poor – enjoy a enriched livelihood in the fertile river valleys of its provinces and a rich abundance that makes even the poorest seem as modest merchants to many outside visitors. A culture built on a religion of festival, it is not entirely unusual to come to the Republic and find it in the midst of, or setting up for a procession in honor of one of the people's twenty-four patron Santos duo Suano, the Saints of the Sun. The festival atmosphere and the eternal bloom of its streets and countrysides has spawned a diverse and rich culture varying broadly by region to region, or in the city of Porto Saolo Grosso by district.

It is said that every morning the people are woken by song, and stimulated by coffee at a breakfast of bacon and fruit. Wine, red, rich and sweet by lunch with honeyed bread. By dinner, rich beer over beef and vegetables and rich plums.

The Republic speaks many different dialects and several languages collected almost as if by adhoc, an effect of the Republic's colonial history as its merchant and plantation families reach beyond the Republic's borders in search of unbroken earth beyond, or land to pull out from under a feudal baron's demesne to expand the horticultural and viticultural ambitions of the Flowering Republic.

Religion:
The principle cult of the Republic is the cult of the son and its twenty-four saints, each marking a beginning of and end of a month in a rally race through the years. Marked with parades, flowers, and feathers many devout worshipers use the time to clean up the homes. Celebratory dinners to the saints are often held in the home, with small portions of food set aside during the festival time for the spiritual ascendants to partake in, should their souls so choose. Doorways and landings are scrubbed clean with water, and by the end of festival all food which had not been eaten is given to the beggars.

The cult of the Sun is not the only religious entity though. Scattered in the rural highlands and valleys is a smattering of other observances to the natural world in which communities live. The cult of the fish, the tiger, the tree, the orchid, the stars, the moon. Referred to often as The Pagan Communities by the affluent of the cities where the Cult of the Sun is strong. This however overlooks the transient nature by which faith is often observed among much of the people.

Attitude to magic:
Attitudes to magic can be summarized as two competing schools of thought. Salvation of the spirit vs Salvation of the material. Magic is not looked down upon by the people of the Flowering Republic, either treated indifferently or with reverence depending on where one comes from. But the study of magic has turned less from its utility as a means to, “send up sparkling roses, like some street juggler” but more towards its implications and furthering them. There is much more in its philosophical meditations. While in the course of this the study of magic and its philosophy its worldly impact has not gone unobserved, while complicated the baubles and implements used to study or come from study have entered into private consumption by the wealthy classes of the study, such as Scopiomagio; implements for the long-distance communication between distant parties.

The attitudes towards magic are emblemized within the two major academies of the realm, the Academio duo Escolatoir and the Academio duo Importo.

Brief history:
The Republic was born out of the corpse of another, ancient Empire. When this old Empire fell, its extant governates, colonies, and subjects wrestled sovereignty from one another. The warlords that rose came to sack the capital, and stole away with its memory, its wealth, and its importance finishing any and all hope it had to march along into time. The extant territories, now sovereign coalesced into feuding baronies and minor lordships as the private villas and estates became countries unto themselves.

In this time, Porto Saolo Grosso came to think of itself as the last bastion of that old way. Renowned at the time of its empire for its vistas and rich soils it was already better placed than most and subject to neighboring jealousies. Initially itself ruled by a feudal nobility, though it would come to a bloody end. In the time of the dynasty though, the independent city was bolstered against invaders in a succession of small wars leading to great success.

These wars brought a great amount of land and wealth into it. As well as the mercenary companies formed out of the old captains and the old guard of the old Empire and their sons. In these early wars the call for soldiers turned the old noble to refer to the unemployed former military, and the income brought in service enriched the pockets of the company commanders and their leading officers. After the wars, these men were in position to take in some of the land spoils acquired and started a transition from war fighting to farming and agriculture. Their immense political clout forced an imbalance between them and the fledgling nobility that became poorly handled.

Over a century later, the Estadio Famílias – private landholders not recognized as feudal kings – embarked on a rebellion against their rulers in protest over a lack of recognition. While singly not as powerful as the king or the counts, they amassed together such an impressive wealth they were able to overthrow the feudal nobility and elected a Republic among themselves, naming it Sorenio Republiqa duo Azula Coatl on paper, but also proclaiming it the Flowering Republic.

Since then the priority of the realm has been the management of itself and its access abroad. As a Republic built on land ownership, the political pressure from rising or established families often leads to a call to acquire additional territory to increase the franchise.

Military:
Since the abolition of the old feudal order the old militia and levee system has mostly been abolished. Though with the sizable wealth many of the large families of the Republic hold it's not uncommon for them to possess even a small private armed force, the larger ones operate entire companies on their own as security against piracy or their rivals. A standing army is thus maintained as the Compativa Duego – the Duego's Retinue – to form the backbone of the army. Common levies are still often time raised, but are not considered the main body of the military force and are purely supplementary; given basic training and given the most readily usable weapons.

The filial retinues and the Compativa Duego are often more readily equipped and professionally trained at owner's expense. Armed with the state of the art arabesques and trained in swordsmanship they are the vanguard of the mercantile interest.

Government:
The Sorenio Republiqa duo Azula Coatl is by no surprise a Republic. Access to Republican politics is invested in land ownership, with the definition of land spanning from farm fields to owning a galleon of significant size. This how ever means that often the unlanded or uninvested sons of voters can not themselves vote until they inherit, and to prevent scoffing remarks of the Flowering Republic being a country of old men there is often increased pressure to find means to enfranchise the sons of voters, especially those of the strongest families.

There is no party in the Republic. Only family.

Main sources of income:
The Republic trades in many things. Southern spices including such things as cinnamon and black peppercorn or salt and sugar. The fisheries off-shore are considered rich and are of some importance with salted, preserved fish being an important export commodity for northern markets. The interior of the Republic has its gold and silver mines, which are vital for the Republic's mint and are not owned by any of the families, but strictly as an aspect of the government itself as a vestige of the feudal demesne; bonds and loans issued by the Serene Council – or du Serenado – are based off of the output of these mines, the reserve of precious metals, and current circulation.

Of other importance is the production of wine and beer in the Republic, with the vineyards accounting for a sizable total of the Republic's agriculture export. Otherwise, agriculture is primarily for sustaining the Republic itself, a blockade would not starve them as designed.

Current goal:
As needed, when called for: increase the franchise by accepted means, to retain the balance between families.

"Sovereign of the World, Master of All Creatures Upon the Land and Under the Sea, Commander of all the Spirits of the Aether, Conductor of the Earthly Choir and High Priest of the Celestial Symphony, Conqueror of Ten Thousand Peoples, Champion of the Stars, Consort of the Starry Maiden, Ravager of Lesser Races and Great Warlord of All Under Heaven. Mightiest of the Children"

"Of the last man who claimed dominion over Ifanen, little is know for a fact outside of the Broken Realm itself. And even in that demon infested land, a visitor would be hard pressed to separate truth from myth and misconception. For the Sorcerer-Kings of the Zul-Agar rarely engage in idle conversation with foreigners, and even rarer are the times in which they deign themselves to indulge in the curiosity of foreign scholars."

"What we can ascertain is that the Golden King was the last and most terrible of the rulers of Old Ifanen. Sailing numerous times out of his island and into the mainland to expand his domains, enslave lesser tribes and perpetrate the will of his blasphemous gods. It was during one of the interludes of his many campaigns that the Sinking happened. Neither him nor any of his brood survived the cataclysm. Without his iron hand, the remants of Ifanen collapsed into infighting.

"These days, it's said that some of the Sorcerer-Kings still hold out hope of his return. But that's as improbable as Ifanen rising back from the sea floor. Whatever disaster created the Zul-Agar, also wiped out the royal line. If he still lived, the Golden King would have no reason to remain hidden for so many centuries. After all, the Mighty Children (how the Sorcerer-Kings refer to themselves and their kin) profess undying loyalty to him, millennia after his supposed death."



"The Smiler, Laughing Lord, Defiler of Tellanon, Satrap of Hattarin, The Flawless One, Brother to the Neverborn. He Who Walks Among the Filth. Spawn of He Who Rolls Like the Thunder."

Grazdir-gal-Sin, Sorcerer-King of the island of Hattarin, is a of the first generation born after the Sinking. Spawned by the previous Lord of Hattarin upon an elf slave possessed by a fiend, Grazdir is one of the few Sorcerer-Kings who regularly deals with other peoples and nations with anything else than disdain and hatred. As a result, Hattarin is one of the few ports visited by foreign traders.

Though this "weakness" before the Lesser Races makes other Sorcerer-Kings disdain the Laughing Lord, one should not be foolish to think that he's a champion of the weak and downtrodden before his fellows. Grazdir-gal-Sin is as arrogant and prideful as any Zul-Agar worth the name. And his vanity is unrivaled among that cursed land. The fact his slaves are somewhat better treated on the average and that he refrains from attacking his immediate neighbors does not means his cruelty is nonexistent. One need only visit the ports during holy days, when the broken masses are gathered around the ziggurats to witness the foul rituals undertaken in the name of the Star Gods.

Or perhaps one can take the example of Tellanon, a rich trading principality in the Western shores of the world. One day the inhabitants of this land woke to the sight of the Purple Maiden banner approaching their shores. The Laughing Lord had arrived to bring ruin to their land. Why you might ask? Because 70 years before a team of "heroes" had managed to sneak into one of Grazdir's vaults. And while almost all didn't made it out alive, one of them escaped and managed to return home. And the man died, thinking himself safe, because Grazdir was dealing with problems closer to home. His grandchildren, however, would not be so fortunate.





Nin-Anunit is young by the Children's standards. A mere 200 years, she's the youngest among the brood of Liblut-Usur, the Serpent-Lion and Satrap of Bel-Kahir. Of these 200 years, Nin spent the last 50 as a decapitated head, buried in the Demon-infested mud of the Lerin-Gaen swamp. As punishment for not treating her mighty sire with enough respect.

With the end of her imprisonment soon approaching, she looks forward to getting away from the ever constant depredations of unhoused spirits and the insistent whispering of the Demons of Lerin-Gaen. Even if it means being brought back to Bel-Kahir bearing the stain of humiliation and dishonor. The Serpent-Lion is, after all, renowned across the land for his dutifulness and adherence to justice. Surely the rest of her punishment (for there will be a second part to it, that much was made clear as her brother hacked at her neck with his blade) will not be excessive.



The Zul-Agar believe themselves chosen by the Gods to be the rulers of stewards of this planet. Their very name reflects that, with Zul-Agar meaning "Mighty Children". This belief in their natural superiority stems from the early days of their existence as a people, eons before the Sinking that turned them into what they are today.

The Sinking and reduction of their home island to an archipelago somehow reinforced this belief. Before the Sinking they were men, mighty in arms and lore but men still. Now? Now the favor of the Star Gods is evident in the very land they inhabit. For even heretic slaves end up succumbing to their gifts the longer they survive the cruel toil imposed upon them by their masters. As for the Children themselves, well, one needs only to behold their holy countenance. And if outsiders shiver and cry out in terror at their sight, then this means they're unenlightened.

Control and dominance are pillars of their society. The Children are superior to all others, and the world rightfully belongs to them. And so it must be bent to their will. Either through magic or industry, not even nature should stand in their way. And as one of the primordial forces of the universe, magic should also belong to them, to be mastered and controlled like no one else can. Whether it be to summon hellish fiends from beyond the veil of the material world or perform amazing feats of alchemy, the Children are expected to excel in magic by any means necessary. Anything less would be a terrible shame.

This drive for perfection, coupled with their natural pride and arrogance makes the Children prone to infighting by default. Without the Golden King or an equally awesome figure to unify them, the Sorcerer-Kings will not fight under the same banner save to face an existential threat. While even in times of peace one should always be weary so as to not show too much weakness. For there are few things a Zul-Agar hates more than to serve someone unworthy of their talents. Though to be fair, they do hate a lot of stuff, including foreign customs and upstarts slaves (which most of them think is the rest of the world).

Religion plays a large role in their culture. The Star Gods are from whom the Children draw justification for their superiority. And to whom they credit the Sinking of Old Ifanen and their transformation from men into something greater. Due to the unsettling nature of the Star Cult, only the Children themselves are allowed to learn the deeper mysteries of the faith. And even the young and low ranked ones are limited in what they're allowed to glimpse. To learn such lore, one must prove itself, for there's little difference between religious and magical learning. The Sorcerer-Kings are as much priests as sorcerous warlods, and to learn stronger lore and spells, one must also advance within the Cult's ranks. Something that is neither easy, cheap or painless.

Slavery is also an important pillar in the society of the Eternal Realm. More than an economic practice, slavery is a declaration of their perceived superiority. All are beneath the Mighty Children and as such their place is on their knees before the chosen of the Star Gods. And inside the domains of the Sorcerer-Kings, all but his immediate family are his slaves (and sometimes not even that distinction is enough to save you).

It should be pointed out, however, that slavery tends to vary within the territories of the Zul-Agar. A mere Orc slave straight off the boat simply hasn't the same value as a Demon bound to a mortal host, or even another slave with decades of experience. This distinction is reflected in how different slaves are treated. And while as a rule of thumb, the great mass of slaves across the Broken Realms are treated as chattel, a few exceptions exist, and there are ways a slave can secure better treatment for himself and his kin. Such as entering a Children's Household or volunteering for its army. Though such fates carry their own risks.

Though the Children themselves do not need to eat like normal beings, many of them (specially those who were alive before the Sinking) still insist on holding great banquets and feasts for themselves and their retainers. These displays of power and opulence go beyond mere feasts, the Children will do anything in their power to show the Lesser Races and their own rivals just how superior they are, and enjoy themselves while doing it, of course. Because what's the point otherwise?



The faith of the Zul-Agar is essentially a mystery cult. Participation is limited to the Children themselves and those with some of their blood in their veins, which means that most of the Eternal Realm's population don't actually know much about the gods they worship. That doesn't stops said slaves from being harshly punished if they are caught paying homage to other pantheons or faiths.

Members themselves only learn more about the Cult's lore and scriptures as they proceed through the ranks. Said advancement is also magical training, for the Zul-Agar claim to draw their magic from their celestial pantheon. Meanwhile, the policy of purposefully limiting the knowledge and power serves a twofold purpose: One, it ensures new acolytes, still too overly proud and not properly broken by the ranking priests, don't actually have the power, skill and knowledge in magic to challenge their superiors. Two, it ensures these same acolytes don't carry out any rituals to which they are mentally unprepared, for such failed ceremonies have disastrous consequences for all involved.

Rituals are a vital aspect of the Star Cult (and Zul-Agar magic by extension). A number of days through the year are particularly important for the followers of the Star Gods, depending on the positions of the stars. Hundreds or even thousands may be sacrificed by the Sorcerer-Kings atop the Ziggurat-temples to appease the gods or seek boons for their loyal worshipers. Multiple rituals are also carried out behind closed doors, with purposes as varied as their results and whose attendance can range from hundreds of acolytes and servants to the Sorcerer-King by himself, depending on the complexity and skill necessary.

Astrology and astronomy are also important disciplines within the Star Cult. For the Zul-Agar believe that their gods make their will known through the movement of the stars. And as such the faithful must keep constant watch over them to ensure that they continue to follow the designs of their celestial masters.

The Zul-Agar obsession with pomp and displays of wealth, and the fact that their rulers are also their high priests, also affects their religious practices.

To an outside observer, the Star Cult is a foul practice, the art and faith of the mad and cruel. And as much as it may be true, one should think twice before disparaging the faith and its practices anywhere within the Eternal Realm. Many an explorer and trader met a grisly end that way, even after being granted safe passage and protection by the local Sorcerer-King.

Attitude to magic: Magic, like everything else, should belong to the Mighty Children. It hails from the Star Gods and is but one of the many boons granted to the Zul-Agar. And only to them, the Zul-Agar loathe mages and wizards from other peoples, and don't even allow their bastard half-mortal children to advance too high within the Star Cult hierarchy, lest these unworthy mongrels gain more power than they deserve.





















Each Sorcerer-King maintains its own army and navy, loyal only to itself. This means that there is some variation among the hosts fielded by the Mighty Children. Though all of them follow the same rough framework:

Slave levies: The lowest of the low, these conscripts are used as cannon-fodder and auxiliary forces. Poorly armed and barely (if at all) trained. Most levies are only kept in the battlefield because they fear their own masters more than their enemies. These wretches are commanded by other slaves, volunteers who receive a few more privileges and rewards for their loyalty.

Due to their unreliability, only the lesser Sorcerer-Kings or poorer retainers employ them in large numbers. As most others can simply rely on hordes of the Undead or other magical abominations. Outside the battlefield, they are used as city watch, to keep the other mortal slaves in line.

The Eternal Servants: Among the many magics practiced by the Mighty Children, Necromancy is a popular discipline, one that is relatively easy to master within the Broken Realm. As such, the Walking Dead are a staple of the armies of the Zul-Agar. Their quality varying greatly depending on the skill of the Necromancer who summoned and bound the restless dead. Ranging from mindless carcass with only simple instincts and no real thought and sometimes not even armed, to disciplined regiments of sentient elite soldiers with centuries of experience and the best equipment available.

The Bound Beasts: A catch all term for the many manner of beasts and monsters native to the Broken Realms or created by the hands of the Sorcerer-Kings. Harpies, Minotaurs, Naga, Ghouls and the like that infest the cursed lands of sunken Ifanen and whose survival is entirely dependent on their continued usefulness to the Mighty Children.

When not fighting for their masters, these assorted beasts are mostly left to their own devices. Living in their own little communities within the domains of their particular Sorcerer-King.

The Brazen Legion: Once, the Brazen Legion was the standing army of the Golden Empire, marching under the Starry Banner against all those who their gods deemed unfit to live and rule themselves. Today, every independent Sorcerer-King worth its spells maintains a force under this name.

Composed of the mortal children of the Mighty Children (who though not Mighty Children themselves and not nearly as powerful, still have some greater than average power afforded by the mixed blood in their veins) alongside slaves who are trusted enough to be magically enhanced for battle and commanded by those bastards with purer blood or the youngest among the Mighty Children.

The Neverborn: Demons and fiends from beyond the veil, summoned into the material world by the powerful magics of the Mighty Children and bound by pacts and deals to do the bidding of the Sorcerer-Kings, at least for a time. Whether it's possessing a weapon or using some unlucky mortal as host, the Neverborn who march into battle for the Mighty Children are a force to be reckoned with, being the mightiest among their kind. As such, their numbers are few when compared to the other sections of the host of an average Sorcerer-King. For the cost of bringing these beings into the field of battle is steep and the longer they remain unbanished in the material world, the stronger they grow. Something that even the Laughing Lord, known for his fondness for these beings, is not willing to tolerate for long.

At sea, the Zul-Agar man their fleets with slaves and Undead. Using magic and seaborne creatures to complement their naval squadrons.



Each reigning Sorcerer-King sits atop the pyramid (or more specifically, the Ziggurat) ruling as an absolute monarch its own sliver of land. Below him are its Spawn (created out of magic and pacts with Greater forces, who are also Mighty Children themselves and can theoretically grow to match their sire in power and greatness) who sit on his council alongside whatever other few trusted beings managed to gain its confidence (usually demons or its own mortal bastard children)

Below them are the bureaucrats and officers who take care of the day to day administration of the domains. Usually the descendants of the Mighty Children's mortal bastards, whose blood is too thinned and sparse to wield the same power as their ancestors, but who still retain a small sliver of their inborn skill. It should be noted, that from now on all inhabitants of the domains of the Sorcerer-King are considered slaves, but their treatment tends to vary according to rank.

Most Sorcerer-Kings do not engage with the outside world, and their internal deals are carried out by bureaucrats or lesser Spawn. Those who do engage in commerce with the Lesser Races, like the Laughing Lord and the Kind Lady, usually employ mortal slaves who themselves are a particular caste within their own domains, treated better than the chattel workers but still below the bureaucrats and military officers.

Then come the slaves. Miners, artisans, manufacturers, farmers and working on every other field under the close watch of others who gladly keep their fellows down for a slightly better treatment at the hand of their dread lords. The less said of their miserable lives, the better.

The most powerful Sorcerer-Kings also tend to have authority over their weaker neighbors, something akin to a feudal arrangement that lasts as long as the lesser party believes it can successfully overthrow its superior.



Ifanen once ruled a sprawling Empire, extending across the whole East, all the lands paid tribute to the Golden Empire. Said wealth still remains in the Broken Realm, with many Sorcerer-Kings making the effort to rediscover and reclaim the multitude of lost vaults and troves spread over Sunken Ifanen, be it gold, magical lore or other valuables. Something that also attracted its fair share of outside explorers and treasure hunters. Much to the chagrin of the local lords.

Due to their open disgust for the rest of the world, most Sorcerer-Kings do not engage in trade with the outside world, preferring to deal only with their fellows (whenever they aren't trying to conquer each other). More often than not, they instead prefer to raid the mainland nations for whatever resources they feel they need or want and slaves, who are always in high demand among their kind.

Those who deign to trade with the outside world, however, can offer much besides natural resources and finished goods, on the rare chance a trader can offer something deemed valuable to the Mighty Children, they might part of some powerful magical artifact or rare scrap of magical lore. Or even offer their own arms as a trade good in itself.



The Zul-Agar desire the world. To rule it and bend it to their will and that of their Star Gods, this ambition has never been a secret. But as immortal and mad Sorcerer-Kings they are patient. Maybe they have long running schemes, maybe they are too busy fighting among themselves or maybe they are just waiting for the Stars to tell them when the time has come. Regardless, it's extremely unlikely that the Hosts of the Mighty Children will march out of their Broken Realm as one anytime soon.

While that day does not comes, each Sorcerer-King busies itself in pursuing its own ambitions and goals. Whether it is conquering a hated neighbor, delving deeper into magical lore, launching even greater raids against the outside world or even restoring one of the lost Ifanen colonies lost somewhere else in the world.

The basis of Karaki culture is their faith in the Great Architect, Munitor. Everything in the world is worth studying and perfecting. There are no taboos regarding science. As a consequence of this Karaki dwarves are often curious and inquisitive, but at the same time secretive. They want always to know as much as possible, but are greedy and defensive of their knowledge.

Law and justice in Karak is centered on revenge and balance. You pay for what you did with what you did: thievery is punished with fines, violence is met with violence and murder with death.

Dwarven society in Karak is very hierarchical. The inhabitants are divided into clans, and every clan has a specific task assigned to them; some are warriors, others are scholars, or artisans. There is a defined structure within these clans, with the oldest and most competent individuals on top, and the young and challenged on the bottom. Going against your clan is taboo and dissidents are dealt with harshly.


Above: Priests of Munitor
The dwarves of Karak believe in the god Munitor, the Great Architect who created the world and everything in it. To the dwarves, the world is a craft of supreme complexity and brilliance. The goal of their faith in Munitor is to unravel the mysteries of this masterpiece and learn to duplicate them so that they one day can become gods like Munitor themselves.

Temples of Munitor are places of science and learning, much like academies and univerities. The most competent and well renowned scholars are regarded as priests of their field, and are expected to give lectures and produce literature on their findings.

As magic is part of Munitors great creation, it must be studied and mastered. Karaki dwarves treat magic as any other science.


Above: early dwarven nomad warrior
Karak was founded a long time ago by nomadic tribes of dwarves. During its early history these dwarves worshiped a pantheon of different deities and waged constant wars against each other for supremacy. It was only when the profet Mhaza began spreading the word of the Great Architect that the tribes were brought together to form the nation as it is known today.


Above: Karaki warrior retainers
War is a science, as is studied accordingly. Karak sports a very competent, but rather small, military. Each governor is required to train and outfit a cadre of retainers, and to answer when the king calls for arms. The king is expected to field an own elite force in addition to these retainers.

Apart from lacking numbers, the Karaki military is also lacking a significant cavalry, as horses are sparse in the region. They mostly rely on infantry, artillery and siege.

The perhaps most famous unit of the Karaki military are the blackpowder bombard cannons, also known as Dwarven Thunder. These marvels of modern science are feared and jealously coveted by many other powers, and are known across the world for their terrible destructive power.

Karak is an hereditary monarchy, ruled by a king or queen. Regions and cities are entrusted to loyal governors, who collect taxes from the population and in return pay taxes to the crown.

Karak trades with anyone and everyone. The dwarves import whetever resources and crafts they do not possess themselves, and export their finely crafted artifices as well as their science. It is not unheard of that Karaki dwarves are invited by cities in other nations to build temples of Munitor, sometimes refered to as Munitoriums, in exchange for trade. The dwarves seldom refuse.

To endure as a culture and reach total understanding of the world (and as a consequence of that... total dominance!).

Rhaetia, known locally as Il-Belt, or The City, in the common tongue, had been built around a magnificent natural harbour, called the Grand Harbour, that faces Northeast and is bounded to the north by Stallett Point and further sheltered by an isolated breakwater, and is then bounded to the south by Xabla Point. The Northwest shore is formed by the Sciberras peninsula, which is largely covered by Il-Belt and its suburb Floriana.

That peninsula divides Grand Harbour from a second parallel natural harbour, Salvaġġ Harbour. The main waterway of Grand Harbour continues inland for nearly a kilometre. The south eastern shore of the harbour is formed by a number of inlets and headlands, Three Cities: Cospicua, Kalkara, and Senglea, have been slowly absorbed by Il-Belt to encompass the whole harbour.

The Grand Harbour lies at the centre of gently rising ground and has Il-Belt grown up all around the twin harbours and up the slopes so that the whole bowl is effectively one large fortress protected by massive landward walls and three huge sea gates.

The Great Library and several of the finest Universities are here, as is the Grand Archive, a massive building made of obsidian that houses hundreds of thousands of powerful artifacts recovered in distant lands.

Main sources of income: Mining, Trade, and Manafacturing

Current goal: Establish trade dominance and economic stability.

The arrival of the Dvergaz 800 years ago spelled another chapter in the history of the Slovjansky. The Dvergaz made their living both trading with and sacking the villages and cities lining the river Inzho (the name of the river coming from the old Dvergaz word "insjo", or 'lake') as they quickly established an expansive domain over the whole of the Inzho valley and constructed a number of new fortresses ('grad' in Praslovjansky) to consolidate their holdings, including Novigrad. Within decades the Dvergaz had estabished themselves as a ruling class over the local Slovjansky, with the dwarf Hrodic the Great crowning himself king of the Dvergaz from his capital of Rjurikgrad. These dwarves came to be known as the Terkhazsky to the locals, and this name was soon applied to the Slovjansky they ruled over as they assimilated into the local populace over the course of centuries.

These original dwarven princes later developed into the noble dynasties of the Terkhazsky principalities. Following Hrodic's passing his kingdom was weakened substantially, threatened from within by intrigue and subterfuge, and without by constant raids from the goblins fleeing the mountains. The sacking of Rjurikgrad by an army of goblins four hundred years ago finally shattered the fragile kingdom, which dissolved into a number of bickering principalities. Although the goblins lost all of their gains within a mere two centuries, the damage was done, and the Terkhaztsky would remain divided into the modern day.

Novigrad was the richest of these principalities, and thanks to the political and military cunning of the legendary Vitali Inzhosky, they were able to avoid foreign domination. Over the centuries no single dynasty was able to maintain control of the throne of Novigrad, with various principalities vying for ownership of its lucrative trade routes. This allowed the local Posadnik to wrest increasing amounts of control from the Prince, eventually reducing them to a mere figurehead. The Tysyatsky became an elected office, as did the position of Bishop, and local merchants soon earned the right to enter the ranks of Boyars by virtue of their wealth.

Two centuries ago, the scourge of the White Death ravaged the Terkhazsky lands, killing commoner and noble alike. The plague began in Novigrad itself, arriving from overseas on one of the many merchant ships that made their way upriver. The plague spread through the lands like wildfire, killing a whole half of the populace and littering the streets with the ghostly-white husks of its victims.

This massive depopulation was followed by a wave of peasant rebelions that rocked Terkhazia. A number of serfs had been left entirely lordless as whole boyar families were wiped out. Many boyars responded to the massive decline in workers through increasingly ruinous taxes and entrapping those free peasants they could find. A mere twenty years after the plague's passing a great peasant rebellion arose in Volodymyr and was quickly imitated in the other principalities, including Novigrad. These rebellious peasants formed their own veches, which demanded increased rights for peasants or in some cases the outright abolition of serfdom. A handful of princes were forced to cede power to the angry mobs, granting new town charters to many of these villages and putting an end to the practice of forced impressment of free peasants. Although most of the rebellions were put down, reforms were enacted throughout Terkhazia to head off another peasant rebellion and pacify the serfs.

In Novigrad the rebellion was eventually put down through diplomatic means by Bishop Igor Aleksandrovich, who freed the few remaining house slaves from bondage, awarded over a dozen town charters to outlying villages, and formally recognized the rights of Freeholders to participate in the Novigrad Veche, allowing those newly freed towns to send delegates to represent their interests in the Novigrad Veche with the same rights as the local tysyatsky.

The town militias are organized into a number of tysyacha (lit. "thousand"), a volunteer army of a thousand men, each commanded by the local tysyatsky (literaly "thousandmen") elected by the town veche for one-year term from among the boyars. In addition to their judicial and commercial responsibilities the tysyatsky lead the militia in times of war. Each townsman is responsible for procuring armament for themselves, with the tysyatsky assisting in paying for rations, training, and other equipment for the men under their command from their own pocket. In addition to the tysyacha of the outlying towns, each of the five kontsy (ends) of Novigrad raises its own separate tysyacha under the command of their local tysyatsky. Serving in the tysyacha is a great honor and many young men eagerly volunteer to go off to war for the glory of Lord Novigrad the Great. It is especially popular among the free rural population, which sees it as a way to advance in the urban-dominated politics of the city. Tysyacha are armed with a heterogeneous mixture of pike, spear, and bowmen, with a small corps of cavalry recruited from the free rural population, typically riding on horses supplied by the church.

The greater boyar families of Novigrad are able to call up peasant levies of substantial size, which have since come to rival the tysyacha in size as the great families consolidate their control over the countryside. These levies are typically less well-equipped and motivated than the volunteer Tysyacha and are only called up in times of dire need. Armed with a variety of improvised weapons, they are the last line of defense for Lord Novigrad.

The boyars themselves are a different story. Forming the core of Lord Novigrad's cavalry force, they are well-trained and well-equiped, adorned in brightly painted mail bearing their family colors. Although the lesser boyars are forced to fight on foot or on horses supplied by the church, the greater boyars are able to supply their own purpose-bred warhorses, and are truly a force to be reckoned with.

The merchants of Novigrad form another pillars of the city's defense. While they lack the peasant levies and stables of the landed boyars, they instead rely on foreign mercenaries to do their fighting. Novigrad's mercenary armies vary considerably, ranging from tribal horsemen from beyond the portages, to the pikemen of the Southern Lands.

Ushkuiniks are the core of Novigrad's navy and a key tool of power projection into the interior of the Inzho river basin. the Ushkuiniks are so-named because of their flat-bottomed river boats (the Ushkui) capable of taking them over portages and between watersheds. Frequently enjoying the patronage of Novigrad's great boyar families, they are used to project Lord Novigrad's dominance into the interior, moving in squadrons hundreds or thousands strong as they raid villages along the river or extract tribute from the neighboring principalities. This has lead them into conflict with neighboring powers multiple times, such as following the seizure of a major dwarven trading post ten years ago.

The Veche is at the center of Novigrad political life. Descended from the old pagan tribal assemblies, the Veche is a common town assembly open to all freemen in the city limits as well as any free peasants that attend. The Veche votes on a number of crucial civil and legal matters, as well as directly electing most city officials from among the boyars. Although anyone can, in theory, call the Veche by simply ringing the cathedral bell, it is the responsibility of the Tysyatsky to organize meetings and chair them in the absence of one of the Posadniki. It is the Veche which nominates and approves the candidate for Prince, as well as expelling the Prince should his service prove unsatisfactory to the people of Novigrad. Despite its crucial role in the city's governance, it is not unheard of for a Veche to descend into violence, with multiple accounts of boyars, merchants, or foreigners being lynched in the square should they draw the crowd's ire.

The day-to-day administration of Novigrad is handled by the ranks of the Tysyatsky, or "thousandmen". Originally militia commanders, it has since transformed into a political and commercial office, tasked with handling disputes between townspeople and collecting taxes and customs for the city. They are elected for year-long terms by the Veche from the ranks of the boyars and are seen as the advocates of the common people. It is not unheard of for a tysyatsky to be elected to office several years in a row.

The Veche itself is chaired by the Posadniki. Novigrad currently has four Posadniki, each elected by the Veche from among the boyars for a life-long term. Together with the bishop the Posadniki form the Sovet Gospod, or Noble Council. Together, they run the civil affairs of the city, assigning tasks to the Tysyatsky, resolving legal disputes between the boyars, and regulating trade within city limits. Each year they elect a Steppenoy Posadnik to head the council. The Steppenoy Posadnik is tasked with keeping an eye on the prince, co-chairing any trials they sit on, and ensuring that they stay true to the r'ad they signed when they ascended to the office of Prince.

The Bishop of Novigrad and Vostochgorod is often characterized as the chief executive of Lord Novigrad. The Bishop is directly elected by the Novigrad Veche (alongside all the bishops in Novigrad's territory) and sent to the Patriarch in Volodymyr for confirmation. They are the most powerful official in Novigrad and its largest landowner, with the church having a near-monopoly on horsebreeding and controlling substantial wealth. In addition to their expansive landholdings they also collect fees from local merchants for the use of weights and measures in city limits. They are responsible for conducting diplomacy and foreign affairs on behalf of the city, although they rarely make any major decisions without first gaining the consensus of the Sovet Gospod. They have the authority to draft foreign treaties and submit them to approval by the Veche, and are also responsible for the wellbeing of any foreign dignitaries within city limits, as well as maintaining embassies abroad. They also hold a number of secular legal responsibilities, overseeing legal disputes involving foreigners.

The Prince of Novigrad is the city's chief military official. He is charged with leading the city's military in times of war and chairing several important trials alongside the Steppenoy Posadnik. However, most of his responsibilities are outlined in the R'ad signed with the Novigrad Veche prior to taking office, which can vary from one prince to the next.

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Formation: Democratic oligarchy from a bunch of farmers who fled a tyrant's realm.
Population: TBD
Currency: Notes (little bronze music notes denoting different amounts per kind of note)
Anthem: Highland Spirit
Demographics:

• Main Cities:
  
  
  • City - Note (the capitol)
  • City - Soprano
  • City - Mezzo
  • City - Alto
  • City - Capriccio
  • City - Castrato
  • City - Etude
  • City - Rococo
• Ethnicity:
  
  
  • Race - Human
  • Race - TBD (depends who their neighbors are and what demographics venture into Treblea most often)
• Language:
  • Language - Common (As they are fairly centrally located, singing would be done in the most predominant language typically.) If there isn't a common language for their region, then it would just be a modified variant of whatever tyrannical empire, kingdom, etc. that the original Treblean farmer founders spoke.
  • Language - Sheet music / Music (instrumental music is their chief language)
• Religion:
  • Religion - Music is the purest expression of the essence of the divine and supernatural.
  • Religion - TBD (from neighbors)
  • Religion - TBD (from neighbors)
• Health: Being that this society would hold some similarities in general hygiene with Woodstock in the real world, the overall health and nutrition on average is decent, but may not win any awards among other nations. It is not uncommon for people to bathe along with their instruments in the name of finding inspiration. This of course works best if the instrument they are bathing with is not damaged by the water. For example, this is a popular tactic among Treblean drummers who find it helps them find new beats if water is in turn 'beating', swishing, or rushing over them.
• Education: Unless it's music, with a small growing community of people devoting themselves to the arts, education is rare here. Parents don't so much teach their kids as let them have free reign. Roughhousing among children is encouraged, even sexual exploration, although the ruling Council of Genre issued one of their few decrees that no one may have children until the age of seventeen years (or until both participants' bodies have reached their full height).

Politics:

• Foreign Relations: Likely allied with the Republic or the dwarves. Would dislike any autocratic or tyrannical orders that attempted to impose their will through sanctions and/or conquering (can't remember the medieval version of the word sanction. Decree doesn't seem quite right. Just "taxes" then?)
• Military: The people of Treblea don't use weapons in the conventional sense as of yet, although that is a major point of contention in the present day Council of Note and Councils of Genre meetings right now. Up to this point, even as technology has begun to evolve little by painstaking little, internal crime and border disputes have been virtually nonexistent. There has been no real governing body for other nations to dispute! The nation wants no trouble from outsiders, but sometimes wishing to be left alone when you are centrally located with goods and services people want, not to mention natural resources and land, that is usually quite improbable.
  
  If ever a Treblean citizen had to defend their homes, it was likely from a wild animal, magical or otherwise, and they did it with various bronze or wooden tools, or just various objects. Sometimes an instrument was used, or even broken over, an animal or crazy person's head. Given peoples' love of music in Treblea, hurting an instrument was akin to cutting off someone's limb. If you used your instrument to hurt another human being, you often times ended up feeling more emotionally hurt than the other person whom you had just tried to physically harm.
  
  Suffice it to say, Treblean military is in a state of basic development to put it gracefully. While they have no organized military, they have a peaceful people who are willing to use their brains and their limbs to defend their homes and peaceful livelihood. Is it a utopia? Not exactly. Does music serve as a way to communicate, not only promoting but maintaining unity? Absolutely!

Geography: Mostly grassy plains surrounding a natural, almost-perfectly round circle of seven rolling hills. In the large, seven mile wide depression in the epicenter of the seven hills lays their sprawling capital city of Note. The citizens enthusiastically refer to themselves as Noteans, and as such their currency came to be known as Notes and distributed throughout the nation as it grew. All Trebleans at least aspire to make a pilgrimage to Note once in their life from their home villages on one of the seven outlying hills. Each of the seven rolling hills are named, and they are about two to three miles in diameter. A dense forest surrounds the entirety of the seven hills and all that's in between. The folks in the center of Note rely on the Trebleans living in the outlying villages for lumber, which the Trebleans naturally also find a way to do musically.

• Land Mass -
• Terrain - Flat grassy plains, gently rolling hills that stretch for miles (also usually grassy, flowery, etc.), and surrounded by forests. Animal population is most densely located in the surrounding forests, but herbivores are relatively plentiful out on the prairies. There are two lakes, one large and one small, between Note and the outlying hills, and each lake is roughly opposite the other. The larger lake looks a bit like a shoe or a boot, and the citizens call it Lake Grazioso for its graceful waves and mild weather. The smaller lake is known fondly by fishermen as Lake Capriccio, a small, spirited body of water known to be home to several species of equally spirited, not to mention noisy, avian creatures (a.k.a birds).
• Climate - Temperate

Currency Symbols: Musical notes made of copper/bronze that are shaped like a Whole Note, Half Note, Quarter Note, Eighth Note, and Sixteenth Note respectively. The more intricate the design (the more notations) means the more that piece of currency, or Note, is worth (since it would have taken longer to forge and just looks more intricate).

Animals: Mostly herbivores, birds, and a multitude of insects. There are some carnivores and potentially magic creatures in the surrounding forests on their circular border. As a nation, Treblea might very well be mostly landlocked (GM's discretion).

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*Things the country is known for
Resource: Musical instruments
Resource: Works of art/commissions for same
Resource: Wheat and sorghum (harvesting with scythes is a form of music AND art AND sport to Trebleans)
Resource: Lumber (need wood to make some instruments)
Resource: Copper (for their currency as well as some tools).

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Type: Democratic oligarchy (Note and each of the seven villages is divided by loose agreement into musical genres that serve them as districts of a sort. Each genre in each village elects their own representatives (Note included), and they form the equivalent of a city council. In turn, that city council, which they call a Council of Genres, elects a representative from them - although sometimes it has been a random citizen from a random genre of qualifying age so as to break a deadlock tie - represents their entire village (or Note) at the big council meeting that comes together in times of great need in Note itself to represent every village and Note itself as a united nation of music lovers.

Council of Note Leaders: Rax Coalstonn, Rex Tungsten, Lyrnia Tangstven, Svelte Langstven, Bridley Longstonn (male), Jaykob Lungstren, Alixia Garstven, and Yorny Galstven.

Naming Conventions: The last names of men typically end in -tonn or -tren while female names traditionally end in -stven or -tven.

Current Goal(s): To share their collective love of music with the world. To provide a place of refuge for those who love music and love their freedom. They are viewed like lambs in the eyes of predator countries looking to conquer it. Treblea has the misfortune of being centrally located, with multiple nations able to fabricate de jure claims against it.

As such, the "open nation" of Treblea desperately seeks to keep their freedom from tyranny while also r maiming protected against foreign invaders who see their little circular nation as a pie of resources ready for slicing.

Also, while Treblea's few mines produce ample bronze from their copper (hi hi, hi hi, it's off to work they go!), their country lacks iron or any alloys stronger than copper. This makes them dependent on trade if they want to make even simple advances in tech that enhances lifestyle (such as ovens, pots and pans, anvils, or better instrument frames.

Attitude Toward Magic: Magic near Treblea is mostly concentrated in the forests surrounding the outlying village/towns. Rumors and whispers of fantastical beasts grow with each passing day. Many a citizen is content to pay wise heed to these rumors and stay ensconced with their instruments and tools alike, whiling away the day in pursuit of musical and artistic pleasure. There are a select few people born with the wanderlust, however, and those people typically venture out into the forest as soon as they come of age to do so, sometimes earlier; although the earlier they leave, the less chance they have of surviving the presumably dangerous forest ring to see whatever lies beyond. To some in the outlying seven villages, it's almost a rite of passage marking someone as either incredibly bold and brave, or dumber than a bag of keytar picks.

Most Trebleans cannot use magic in the traditional sense. Their magic shines through in their music and works of art. It is said of outsiders who attend Treblean music festivals and concerts that the music makes the air alive, sometimes it even shimmers and/or does things to peoples' souls on an individual basis. Works of art sold or gifted by Treblean artists, sculptors, and the like are sometimes said to have strange, otherworldly properties. Whether or not these properties were an intention of their creator remains unclear thus far.
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As the nation is visited more by outsiders, magic may be practiced more often within its borders, lending itself to more and more arcane mysteries and the like!

Brief History:

Treblea was born from several honest farming folk who had frankly had enough of a tyrannical ruler. They got fed up enough to mount an escape, stole what provisions they could, including a mule-driven wagon (unfortunately driven by two mules of the same gender), and trekked across the land until finally they happened upon the miles wide depression between the seven hills. Declaring this to be a reasonably protected site, far from their old home, they set up shop - so to speak - on the very arable land that grew beneath their feet. Soon, more and more people fleeing the tyrant's lands, or others altogether, ended up there and the farms gradually got pushed further and further outwards to make room for the burgeoning clump of shacks and hovels that would eventually sprawl over into the more noteworthy capitol of Note.

Being that they came from a system of government that was extremely strict, and even had completely outlawed music, the people of Treblea decided to make music a focal point of their daily lives just to spite their old ruler. It turned out that this fad caught on, and was even lovingly embraced by their descendants. Pretty soon the old ruler was completely forgotten and an entire culture was born, led by a council system so complex that it actually turned out to be straightforward and simplistic.

Someone's brilliant idea to make seven different villages, one for each hill, to stand like sentries over the surrounding forests was met with approval, and the rambling, growing mass of Note quickly dispersed into seven somewhat organized directions to do just that. Their dialect of the most predominantly spoken language took on a musical cadence, as they essentially all taught themselves how to express themselves with musical instruments (singing caught on at first, died out for a while, then came back with a vengeance in present times). As a result of this musical focus, all of their city/town/villages - Note and even the two lakes included - were given names related to music, sometimes even words they had invented on their own.
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