The local/native population of Latoria is predominantly human meaning they’re a majority of the population and are the highest in power at the moment.

Since Latoria has opened itself to trade over the centuries in some of the more trading communities other races ranging from dwarves, elves, beastfolk etc have travelled through Latoria usually as merchants selling items to make some coin.They are yet a small minority compared to the amount of humans living within Latoria.

WIP

Explanation of the nation's culture. Essentially, for my own nations, I tend to have this long list which explains many parts of the general culture; Appearance, Craftsmanship, Traditions, Family, Law, Rights, Entertainment, Views on Slavery, Physiology, Cuisine, Education, and Pets. You don't need a list that extensive, but I do expect effort to be put into what these folks are like, and I do enjoy if you could take it from real world medieval cultures

Overview of the military, it's style of recruitment, organization, and favored tactics. This is where anything you have for your military and what they will field in their campaign can be read up upon.

How the government works and who is in charge of what, basically an explanation of how the nation runs itself and who is in charge of what province or who is responsible of what task. No government needs to be perfect, and it can be as cruel or incompetent as it needs to be for your story.

What resources your nation has, what kind of economy it uses, what is the lifeblood of the country itself? What are the trade and tax policies of the nation, who handles taxes, and what resources are best (or worst) exploited? Information on imports and exports will also go here.

A local map will go here, with provided information on cities, terrain features, and information on local states will go here. The bare bones minimum for this section will require general information on local territory.

Lay of your nation's land and internal states, along with information on any beasts and horrors which prowl it. I've mentioned monsters and horror before, but this isn't exactly fully necessary. The more important information is on important landmarks and their relevance for the nation.

Information on internal factions such as rebel groups, internal political groups, mercenary companies, secret orders, public orders, religious orders, and other relevant factions and guilds.

This is a page where you place personal information on known rulers and characters likely planned to end up in the RP. Characters don't have to be fully associated with the nation, but do have some association. Any character can be placed here. Just no god modding or weird shit.

Humans are around 90-95% of the populace, and the remainder are small minorities. General treatment of minority groups in El'Akim is poor.

Summary:

The Lounattar were one of the first victims of the Muha Empire, for their land once lush and green was turned into a hellish landscape of flame and ash by the last Archon’s vile machinations. They migrated north for reminders of how their lands used to be, rather than what they are. In their moment of weakness, they were enslaved by the Empire. For many years the Lounattar toiled in mine and field for cruel masters.

Until one day, the great prophet of the Lounattar broke their chains, and led them on a great exodus eastward. Upon the isle of a great lake, he would make the Sanctum of his people. Guided by divine vision, the prophet set the destiny of the Lounattar into motion. The Lounattar would labor forevermore to create a better world from the burnt ashes of the old.

For the first few hundred years of the Kingdom, the Lounattar would struggle against their neighbors, and the land itself. But then an era of peace dawned upon the Lounattar, but some may describe it as stagnation. The magic of the High Kings has its costs, leading them to be stubbornly stuck in their ways. The High Kings have prioritized the completion of their divine mission over earthly glory, and so their centuries old schemes continue for generations...

First Age: Slavery, then Exodus

Long ago, during the Dawn of the First Age the Lounattar lived in a land they called ‘Eden’. It was a lush land of endless abundance. The Lounattar lived freely in this paradise for many years, until the Alaz’varkutez ‘broke’ the world. The bountiful fruit of Eden turned to ashes, and the land of abundance became one of famine. Thus ended the first chapter of the Lounattar.

The Lounattar learned to live off of the beasts of Eden, and guided them away from their deadly home north, towards greener pastures. The journey was long and arduous, but as the Lounattar say: “the hottest fires forge the truest steel”. Much like Shepherds guiding their flock, wise elders guided the Lounattar toward virtue and strength. But as the Lounattar marched further north, little did they know they marched towards their doom. The cruel taskmasters of Muha enslaved the Lounattar with sword and sorcery. And thus ended the second chapter of the Lounattar.

The Lounattar toiled for many years in mine, field, and home. For many years their minds were dulled by vile sorcery, but the spirit can never be broken. Abraham, a house slave to one of the ancient Magi of Muha, learned much in secret. Possessed by divine power and arcane knowledge, Abraham led his people to freedom. And so the Lounattar began an orgy of death and destruction upon the Muha, as was ordained by heaven. Once divine justice had been satisfied, the Prophet Abraham led his people east. And thus ended the third chapter of the Lounattar.

Second Age 0-324: Dawn of the First High Kingdom

For seven years, the Lounattar journeyed eastward across land and sea to their chosen land. Ordained by heaven, they cleansed the lands they traveled of demons and worldbreakers, and found their home upon the isle of a great lake. This would be their Sanctum. Here is where the fourth chapter of the Lounattar would begin.

Abraham, the Great Prophet, Possessed by Heaven, Breaker of Chains, Shepherd of the Lounattar, was crowned the First High King of the Kingdom that is Most High in the seventh year of the second age. Abraham knew the destiny of the Lounattar was to remake the world into a divine paradise, a New Eden. And so Abraham took many steps to ensure destiny would come to pass. Abraham had a vision of a god, a true god that could reforge the world. And he knew what must be done.

He forged a great crown of pure gold to hold the souls of the High Kings, for a god is forged from the souls of mortals. Souls intertwined with the same virtue and divine destiny, he reasoned, would form the god who would remake the world and deliver the Lounattar from evil. After many years, Abraham passed peacefully in his sleep, and his son Herod would take reins of the Kingdom.

Herod the Conqueror ascended to the throne in the year 28 of the Second Age. Guided by his father’s wisdom, Herod ruled the isle of Sanctum for many years. Until one day, an elven warlord by the name of Shavanna raided Sanctum with a mighty host to avenge her sons and daughters. Guided by destiny, Herod defeated the elves, and cleansed the Longshore of elven filth.

The eastern mountains were always a wild land of half-giants and beastmen, but it was of little concern to the Kingdom that was Most High. This was until the Perkoni were driven out of their homes by the elves, and migrated west. Many times the Perkoni tried to settle on the Longshore, and many times they were driven back by the Lounattar. The Perkoni would eventually settle further west, and thus they and the Lounattar would remain at peace for many years.

Saul the Smith ascended to the throne in the year 222 of the Second Age. A great giant named the Bonebreaker ransacked the town of Neneveh. Few were spared from the giant’s wrath. The town elders made their plea to the High King, and so Saul sent forth his soldiers to slay the Bonebreaker. But the giant’s skin was made of stone, and the swords of his soldiers shattered before the giant’s hide. And so Saul forged mighty swords from the core of a fallen star, embuing the swords with divine power. These “Seven Swords of Saul” were given to his seven sons. The swords cut through the stone hide of the Bonebreaker like butter, and they shone with the brilliance of heaven.

The sons of Saul set forth into the wild lands of the Lakeshore, and drove out the demons and monsters of the land. They made their own fortresses, and swore eternal fealty to their father. When Saul passed, his first son Joshua IV ascended to the throne. Joshua’s brothers had thought themselves his equals, rather than his servants and so declared their own petty Kingdoms.

Second Age 324-500: The Age of Strife

Many years had passed since the Perkoni first migrated west, and both nations had grown in their own way. The High Kingdom had expanded beyond the great lake Nakum, and the Perkoni had expanded far beyond the forks of the western rivers. The Ruhsoi, master of horses, ascended to prominence among the Perkoni, and rode east for new pastures.

The neighboring Kingdom of Westfields had grown decadent and weak from their wealth, and so fell to the Ruhsoi of the west. The High King rallied his armies, and marched west to deal with the beastmen. For many years the Lounattar and the Ruhsoi struggled over these lands, until events to the east drew the Lounattar’s attention. The High King Joshua IV vowed the Lounattar would return to reclaim their rightful lands.

The Guldani, manipulated by a vile elf Elenar Helioseniar. He remembered when the Lounattar were nought but slaves, and so underestimated the Lounattar. The general sent his Guldani clients into the mountain passes unprepared for the fury of Lounattar. The half-giants smashed into the mountain-fortresses of the Lounattar, and limped home beaten before Elenar. Humiliated, Elenar returned his attention to the Guldani.

Beaten down by the half-giants, the High King returned his attention to the west, to the Ruhsoi. They had regained their strength, but the High King was full of prideful arrogance due to his victory in the east. He returned to reclaim Westfield, but his army was broken at the ‘Battle of Stony Brook’. One of the Swords of Saul was even lost to the Ruhsoi, the First Sword to be lost in battle. High King Joshua died from his wounds shortly after the battle, and the Westfield was lost to the Perkones.

A child High King posed an interesting question for the Kingdom that is Most High. Who is to guide the realm? Should it be the High Church, for they are well versed in the way of the divine? Should it be the men of noble blood, who rule the great castles of Lakeshore? Or should it be the Crown itself, embued with the wisdom of a people, despite the child who wears it? The child-king would at times seem possessed by the will of his ancestors, speaking in the tongue of ancient men. The sign from heaven was clear, and so the men of the court yielded to the Crown.

Second Age 501-988: Machinations of the High Kings

As the Age of Strife faded into memory, the machinations of the High Kings continued ever onward. One by one, the neighboring Kingdoms of Man fell to the High Kingdom. Not by sword, but rather by marriage and subterfuge. The High Kings begin the year 988 doing what they always do, endlessly plotting. Perhaps these centuries old schemes will bear fruit? Perhaps not.

Summary:

The Lounattar hail from the deserts far to the south, but have migrated to greener pastures. In the past they depended greatly on their clans in the desert, leading to an insular collectivist culture. The Lounattar believe that the safety and security of their society is dependent on upholding their traditions, and thus they enforce their cultural traditions rigorously, and those who break from the norm are treated harshly.

Summary:

The Lounattar have a mix between a tribal military organization, and a professional army. While each village has its own militia led by elders, the King has his own army drawn from men of the city and zealots. The equipment of the militias is poor as they are self equipped, but no expense is spared for the army of the High King. While the bulk of the army are these tribal militias, the professional army is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Summary:

The Lounattar believe in the absolute divine authority of the High King. They also believe in the divine authority of local lords, who are also descended from the blood of the High Kings. This creates some amount of tension, but in most cases these fault lines are not tested as the High King only enforces complete, and absolute religious authority. This authority is rarely tested by the secular lords, but when it is the rebellion is put down brutally. Otherwise, the High Kings prefer to rule with a ‘light touch’ as far as their vassals are concerned.

Summary:

The roots of Lounattar belief begin with ancestor veneration. They believe that ancestors guide them through everyday life. This belief filters all the way to the top, to the High King himself. However in his case, the guidance is quite literal. The High King wears the ‘Crown of Thorns’, which is infused with the souls of all his predecessors. The voices of past kings guide the High King, and so he is most fit to rule the Lounattar, and guide them. This is how the High Church began, but as time went on, their beliefs evolved.

The second part of Lounattar belief is that the world is filled with suffering. Disease, cruelty, famine, they are all evidence of this fact. According to the Lounattar, the material world is evil. This has several implications for the Lounattar, but the most important is that the world must be destroyed and replaced with divine paradise.

How this is to be done brings us to the third part of Lounattar belief. They believe that god will appear through their King in the “hour of the great ending”, and thus they must all give their lives to join with their High King, and remake the material world into heaven. Foriegn scholars debate whether this can actually be done. Many also debate whether it would be more horrific for the Lounattar to fail, or to actually succeed.

Summary:

The Kingdom of El’Akim has a pre industrial economy. It has a large amount of peasant farmers, a few towns, and a significant minority of sheep-herders. Large navigable rivers and a large lake make travel easier, and thus trade with the nearby Guldani much to the chagrin of more conservative village elders. The cities are moderately wealthy, supporting a fair amount of artisans. While food and artisanal goods are plentiful within the kingdom, metals are scarce, and thus El’Akim is forced to trade with its neighbors for it. Most villages operate under an informal economy based on mutual trust. Villages will usually accept metal coinage from outsiders, but not always.

The city operates on a palatial economy, where the King and his functionaries plan the economy. Resources are stockpiled within the palace itself, and are distributed among the artisans and craftsmen as the King sees fit.

Sanctum:
Even when all seemed lost for the Lounattar, their nigh impregnable Sanctum lived on. While the pious Lounattar will ascribe this success to the righteousness of their divine mission, more cynical observers note that the isle is protected by the lake and high sorcery.

This area serves as the center of both secular and divine power of the Kingdom, and thus is home to the capital of El’Nakum. The people of the isle are often known as ‘Islanders’ to the rest of the Kingdom. Sanctum is the most urban and developed of all of El’Akim’s territories, with no wild land on the entire island. The island is covered with farmland and El’Nakum.

Due to the small and isolated nature of the isle, monsters have been almost entirely eradicated here.
Longshore:

Longshore serves as the core territory of the Lounattar, and those who inhabit it are known as ‘Shoremen’. Longshore is dotted with several farms off of the lake, with several small villages surrounding the lake, and large fortress-cities on the mouths of rivers. While Longshore isn’t as safe as Sanctum, it remains one of the safest places in the Kingdom from monsters.

Eastmarch:

Eastmarch is a buffer zone between El’Akim and the expansionist Goldrani Empire. It provides some metals and goods to El’Akim, but it’s primary purpose is to protect Longshore from potential giant raids. Eastmarch is under frequent threat from giants and goliaths. Eastmarch is home to the ‘Marchers’, who unlike many of the Lounattar, get by through herding sheep and goats in the hilly terrain.

Eastmarch contains several fortresses economically supported by Longshore, and a few fortresses are in mountain passes.

Southriver:

Southriver contains a river important for trade with the Goldrani Empire, and also a fertile valley. Southriver is one of the more diverse regions of El’Akim, holding Goliaths, ‘Rivermen’, and ‘Marchers’ alike. Southriver also serves the purpose of being a buffer territory against the Goldrani Empire.

Westriver:

Westriver contains a river important for trade with the Holy Empire, and other elven successor states. Westriver has a sizable goblin minority, as well as the few elves still stubborn enough to live in El’Akim. Westriver also serves the purpose of being a buffer territory against the elves to the west.

Cedarwood:

Cedarwood has a few important rivers, but also the most expansive forest in the Kingdom. Cedarwood is almost as dangerous as the Eastmarch, but the Kingdom holds onto the territory for its precious lumber, and its precious buffer zone between it and the north & the Goldrani Empire.

The High Church:

The High Church is the hierarchical organization that directs the worship of the High King, the ancestors, and all of the Lounattar. It’s influence is strongest in the city, but is not unfelt in the countryside. Headed by the High King himself, the High Church is working most actively to fulfill the prophecy of the “hour of great ending”. The High Church also manages the palatial economy of the city, and thus also serves as an army of bureaucrats.The High Church is a large organization, but is wildly effective for its size due to careful management. The High Church is greatly supportive of efforts to centralize the state.

Swords of Heaven:

The Swords of Heaven are an order of warriors hand picked by the High King, and are sworn to his service. They serve as bodyguards, secret police, and elite shock troops. When a village falls to heresy, the Swords of Heaven are usually the first sent in to root it out. The Swords of Heaven are unpredictable fanatics, and while that can be useful for the High King, sometimes it causes problems.

Elder Councils:

The Elder Councils serve as the local administrators of villages. While they are usually in agreement with the High King and the central authorities, this isn’t always the case. The Elder Councils usually oppose new taxes and reforms to centralize the state. Unlike some other factions of the ruling class, the Elder Councils aren’t handpicked by the King, but rather select their own members.

Noble Houses:

The Nobles of El’Akim are directly related to some High King or another, and are the local administrators of great fortresses that dot the countryside. They are generally opposed to Elder Councils, and attempts to centralize the state. They are the aristocracy, and often have feuds with other noble houses in the High Kingdom.

The Court:

The ‘Court’ is filled with nobles that can trace their bloodline to some king or knight. The nobility has a good amount of magi, as many trace their bloodline to the King. While there are only so many magi at once, this makes the Court a faction to be reckoned with.

Cult of the Shining Path:

More or less, missionaries that attempt to convert those of other Kingdoms to the beliefs of the Lounattar. Is not above being underhanded in their methods, and thus serves as a pretty good espionage network as well as missionaries.

Abraham, the Great Prophet

First of the High Kings, the founder of the nation. Began his life as a house-slave to a Magi of Muha, he escaped his bondage and freed his people. He is the loudest voice within the High Crown to accomplish the divine plan of the Lounattar.

Herod I, the Warrior

Second of the High Kings, Herod defended El'Akim from the elves who sought to enslave the Lounattar once more. Usually presses the High Kings for more 'direct' means of accomplishing their goals.

Saul I, the Smith

One of the first High Kings, Saul is the origin point of many nobles' ancestry, for he had many sons. Saul also created several enchanted blades, sharpened by divine power. Under his tenure, the Lakeshore was conquered by the nobles.

Joshua IV, the Knight

One of the High Kings born in the middle of El'Akim's history, Joshua fought many wars. He fought against the Guldani, the Perkones, and occasionally his own subjects. His results were somewhat mixed.

Human
Gi'voras
Sh'lithan
Vi'galan
Mis'vilian
The vilithian horrors

Once, the Vilithan guild was a small organization of mages. They had lived among other races in peace, and brought prosperity to the lands. Like boosting crop growth and outputs, enriching the soils, bringing life from death, and curing disease, suffering, and pain. However... Their leader was assassinated by an unknown threat. Soon, a new leader started his rise. His name was Vilania. He was a descendant of the former leader, soon to be the new ruler when his father subjugated the throne. However, Vilania was corrupt, dark, and empty. He had no knowledge of magic or power. So he sought it out. He desperately tried. Experiment after experiment, plan after plan. He failed countless times until he found blood magic. He had become obsessed with learning its secrets and gaining its knowledge. He spent a few month learning spells and getting the guild on his side. Soon, he had the whole nation under his command and a large understanding of blood magic.

The Vilithan guild believes in a deity known as Shigora. A blood demon of death, disease, and decay. They worship him, giving him weekly blood sacrifice and on occasions, human sacrifice. The Vilithan uses sacrificial rituals to summon flesh horrors created by Shigora himself. They worship Shigora greatly and would sacrifice their own lives for him.

Vilithan Recruit

The weakest Vilithan military. The Vilithan Recruits are newly picked soldiers to serve Shigora. They wield a metal staff and wear blood red, black, and grey cloaks. They know very little about blood magic spells and how to use them at this stage.

Vilithan Warrior

Vilithan Warriors are the next stage in the ranks of the military. They wield metal spears and wear the classical Blood red and black cloaks with some small armor parts.

Vilithan Knight

The Vilithan Knight is the middle class of the Vilithan military. They wield metal armor with red painted patterns, a metal shield with the Vilithan emblem painted on it, and a longsword.

Vilithan Palden

The Vilithan Palden is the highest-ranking soldier class in the Vilithan Military. They have a high understanding of Blood magic and how to cast blood Palden spells. They wield heavy metal armor with the classical Vilithan patterns, a massive metal shield with the emblem painted on it, and a metal broad-sword.

Vilithan Mage

Vilithan Mages are chosen from the recruits that show promise in magic arts. They are trained in all arts of blood magic to test them so they may reveal their strengths and weaknesses in magic and improve on them. They wear Vilithan Mage cloaks and wield a gifted Vilithan mage staff.

Vilithan Archmage

The Archmage is an advanced mage. They are stronger in magic teachings and learn advanced blood magic to further improve their skills. They wield an Archmage staff that has been enchanted by Shigora himself to increase the wielders casting power of blood magic spells and wear Archmage cloaks.

Valithan higharch mage

Valithan higharch mages know almost every bit of knowledge on blood magic there is. They specialize in the strongest mage spells and some even possess abilities to bend and shift the minds and thoughts of others. They use extremely powerful higharch mage staffs that are enchanted and forged by Shigora and his elite mages and wear higharch mage armor and cloaks.

Valithan Summoner

Valithan summoners use powerful dark blood magic spells to summon monstrous horrors that come from the depths of Shigora's dimension. These mages lack physical strength but make up for it with their ability to pull monsters and creatures from the earth and host summoning rituals that summon very powerful monsters. They wield a Valithan Summoner staff and wear Valithan Summoner robes.

Valithan Chosen

The Valithan Chosen are the strongest of all Valithan. They are rarely recruited, as the task required to become one involves a test of strength, skill, intellect, and magic. Failure of this test will result in death. If they finish, they will be taken through a portal that will bring them into Shigora's dimension where they spend months training. They become personal students of Shigora himself. He teaches them all there is to know and more about dark blood magic in Shigora arts. They return as one of the Valithan high council. The leaders of the Valithan guild. They wield a Valithan Chosen staff and a Valithan chosen dagger and wear Valithan chosen armor and Valithan council robes.

The Valithan government is lead by one leader and a council of Valithan Chosen. There are currently 6 Valithan chosen and the king of the Valithan, Vilania.

The Valithan's religion has been named Val'sigen, and their language has been named Val'sigethisan. They teach blood magic, summoning, rituals, and more. They are highly religious and refrain from using all sorts of weapons that are not used by Valithan culture. They hate other religions and find most stupid and idiotic. They know that their god is real because they have traveled to his plane of existence, seen him, learned from him, and were given his language.

The Valithan guild uses the resources of other nations they have subdued, but regardless, they produce their own resources too. They build farms, breed lots of livestock (Mainly for ritual sacrifice), harvest metals, ore, stone, wood, and other natural resources and refine their own. They also have some resource exploitation from Shigora's plane. This has given them access to powerful, magical resources like blood stone, deathwood, and more.

Map: TBA

TBA

The Valithan guild council

The Vailithan guild

Valithan civilians

The converted

TBA

Колóese (Human)
The Колóмна are a hardy northern race of humans who were among the last to be conquered by the Empire of Muha, and the first to throw off the yolk when they sensed weakness. Like humans across the world they come in a great variety of shapes and sizes. The young are virtually useless until they are pre-teens, which results in many marrying before their sixteenth birthday.

Yakov (Dwarves)
The Yakov, like the Колóese, are a northern race. They alone among the races in the north managed to weather the storm that was the Empire of Muha. Hiding in their northern mountains they simply made themselves to bitter a pill to swallow and maintained cordial relations with the Muha until they were driven out by the Колóese. Their underground cities are few and located in nearly unassailable locations. It is they who provide the majority of the gemstones, precious metals, and iron to the Колóese.

Anqualan (Elves)
A Wood Elven people, they typically stand around 5’7” and have olive skin, and are known for having brown to sometimes auburn hair. Their eye colors range from blue, green, to amethyst, with their facial features commonly being sharp and slender. Unlike Elves of other lands, Anqualan elves live up to 500 years, potentially more if they use magic to extend their life spans. Anqualan Elves physically age until, in comparison to humans, to their 40s, at which point their hair and eyes will begin to lose color, with the eldest having pure white hair and eyes. Anqualans also typically live on the Island of Novyye, and most prefer to live in more rural environments, especially within the forests.

Gsomvrosians (Humans)
Standing at 5’9” tall on average, these humans are olive skinned with brown or black hair, only very rarely holding auburn hair. The Gsomvrosians have slender and sharp features, much like the Anqualans, although this is from centuries of interbreeding with them. Because of this they also share their eye colors, which are commonly green and blue, but also amethyst at times. These humans are present throughout much of Southern Novyye, they are the descendants of the Elkadan that traveled north from Zemnalkov and integrated for a time in Anqualan society. They primarily live in the cities, rural villages, and farmlands, serving as a sort of worker’s class.

The First Age | The Muha Imperium
Колóмна was among the last regions to be invaded by the Muha Imperium. Fighting lasted some eighty years as Imperial troops pushed inland from the coast. With the assistance of the Yakovians, the Колóese stemmed the tide of invasion and, with Imperial fortunes being reversed elsewhere, were able to push the Imperium back. Eventually forcing them to abandon the north altogether.
2nd Age, 1 - 545 | War of the Princes
With the Muha Imperium gone, the Колóese fell back into their national pastime, inter-city warfare. The Колóese had long been divided into small Principalities and the War of the Princes began in earnest almost at once. Armies crossed and recrossed the region as the smaller Principalities were swallowed up one by one.
2nd Age, 545 - 660 | Emperor of the Колóese
The War of the Princes came to a close with the subjugation of virtually all Principalities by Prince Arto Kalevi Nyberg, who quickly proclaimed himself Emperor of the Колóese. His family would hold sway over Колóмна for 115 years, though none of those years were marked with peace. Fighting continued with the yet unconquered Princes and constant rebellions plagued the region throughout the Imperial reign.
2nd Age, 660 - 830 | Fracturing of Empire
The Last Nyberg Emperor was mauled to death by a Vittra as he led his army against the Principality of Mолоток. Nyberg left only a very young son and his army, made up of previously conquered peoples, quickly broke up and returned to their home regions. It took no more than a few months for the newly freed peoples to begin fighting over the remnants of empire. Several Generals loyal to the Imperial family did their best to hold the Nyberg Dynasty together, aligning with the son. The young child, no more than three years old, was brutally murdered by a bodyguard paid to assassinate him. What little legitimacy the Generals had died with the infant and war began anew. With no unifying force, the empire eventually fractured into seven main Principalities and Grand Duchies.
2nd Age, 830 - 900 | The General Peace
Amazingly, in 830, a general peace was called. So many lives had been broken and so many people killed that peasants had become a valued commodity and began to vote with their feet, moving to more peaceful regions. Faced with a lack of tax paying citizens, the Princes and Dukes could no longer afford to field armies and the peace was declared in late 830. It would mark the end of any serious fighting among the Колóese up until modern time.
2nd Age, 900 - Present | The Novyye Protectorate
In 900, quite by accident, the Колóese received a visitor from the south, a ruler from a city-state on the island of Novyye. The man came looking for mercenaries and allies to support his peoples conquest of the island. The Колóese, their population approaching pre-imperial levels, agreed and dispatched a small army to Novyye. What they found was a land torn between humans, elves, and even a few Goblin factions. The Колóese, led by a fiery redhead known to history as Princeess Jessikka "The Hammer" Aro, swiftly took advantage of the situation and conquered several city-states in their own right. Not to be outdone, the other nobility of Колóмна quickly committed more and more fighting forces until a substantial combined army of Колóese subdued much of the island. Fighting still continues in the south where Anqualan Elves and humans known as Gsomvrosian still cling to seaside fortresses and mountain strongholds.

Appearance
The Колóese have pale white skin and blonde or red hair is common. Men and women are both known to braid their long hair once they are married, younger men keep their hair close cropped, and all men grow beards. Heavy clothing is trimmed with fur and hot springs baths are a popular event. They tend to spend a fair amount of time waging war within their own lands and favour mounted combat wherever possible. Колóese rarely live beyond the age of seventy and their lives can be brutal and short.


Architecture
The Колóese pride themselves on their architecture, notable the tall spires topped with onion shaped domes of various colours. Most buildings are built of a reddish brick found throughout the region and, since the collapse of the Muha, castles have begun to resemble fortified palaces rather than brooding fortresses.

Traditions




Family
Family is very important to the Колóese. Family blood lines are tied back through generations, often weaving in and out of various ruling families. Even the lowest of the low, the serf, will still proudly claim lineage from some great Колóese house.

While the father is revered in a Колóese Family, the mothers rule is absolute. A son or daughter may not marry without the permission of the mother; a mother refusing a match has become rarer in the past several hundred years.

Колóese families are large, usually boasting five or more children. This is twofold, it assists in chores about the homestead, but also ensures replacements for those who die in battle, or some a myriad of diseases and monsters found throughout the land.

Law
The issue of crime is one that has always beset any civilized society and the Колóese are no different. The ultimate rule of law falls to the regional lord who can mitigate or increase a penalty.

An offender must either settle their offence through payment of goods or coin, or fight for truth. This means a person may to chose a champion to fight against another champion in the name of truth. This has led to a unique career for some widely referred to as the Swords of Truth. These individuals travel about offering their services to those in need of a champion.

For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved party and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Колóese found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to slow execution.

Entertainment
The Колóese adore racing horse racing and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Колóмна. Any Колóese can win considerable fame and fortune if they compete well and win.

Plays, dancing, and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together.

Slavery
The keeping of slaves is very uncommon in Колóese history. Since the conquest of southern lands, however, it is starting to become more common. A suitable climate makes keeping them a more attractive proposition; they live far longer.

Education
The Колóese speak a language of the name. It is no more difficult to learn than most other human or elven tongues.

All Колóese attend school until the age of twelve, after which they are no longer required to study. The offspring of the wealthy of course have the time to remain in school longer and many go on to study at universities or academies.

The poor can apply to a local lord of funding to attend those same schools, though acceptance is rare, but not unheard of.

Cuisine
The foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of plentiful fish, pork, poultry, caviar, mushrooms, berries, and honey. Crops of rye, wheat, barley and millet provide the ingredients for a plethora of breads, pancakes, pies, cereals, beer and mead. Soups and stews are centred on seasonal or storable produce, fish and meats.

Magic
The Brethren of Asya are the primary magic users in Колóмна, focusing on the destruction of an enemy through a focus on death . Contrary to what many people believe, the Brethren of Asya are not Necromancers and have no spells that raise the Undead, nor would they want them. The Brethren of Asya embrace the certainty of death and all other endings, while Necromancers strive to prevent their own ends at all costs.

The magic of Колóмна is the magic of time and the soul, of driving away or destroying the Undead, of causing a person or item to wither and age a decade in seconds, of draining a person of his vitality to empower the casting wizard, of communing with the recently dead, and of ripping a person's soul from his body to leave behind a decaying corpse.

Spells wielded by the Brethren of Asya are, as one might expect, mostly destructive; the remaining spells deal with psychology. The maost dangerous among the, and the hardest to learn, is Drain Life. This spell can target a group of enemy soldiers and essentially age them in seconds.

Recruitment
The Колóese armies are levied from the various lords, who are expected to furnish fighting men for the nobility. There is a core of professional soldiers, drawn from all levels of Колóese society, in every region. A least one child from every family is expected to serve as a fulltime soldier. When the time comes to wage war on a larger scale, the Fyrd is called. This is essentially every able bodied person who can be spared.

Колóese peasants are expected to practice from birth with a bow. Their local lord is expected to similarly support them by supplying at least one horse per family to aid in the training of cavalry and horse archers.

Колóese Military Organization
Колóese warriors are as varied as their weapons. The only commonality is the presence of a long spear, shield, hand weapon, and their deadly compound bows. Armour is made of padded cloth armour covered by chainmail or scalemail.

They fight in organized groups led by their lord, or an appointed commander. Preferring to shoot from a distance until their enemy is disorganized and chaotic. Once the enemy is scattered and cohesion is lost, the Колóese will press a close quarters attack. If the enemy will not break, there are always the various monsters the Колóese keep within their army. What cannot be broken by arrows, can be stomped into ruin by the savage creatures of the north.

Monstrous Units









Siege Train
Prior to the invasion by Muha, fortifications in Колóмна were little more than wooden palisades with a wooden keep. It was the Muha, much to their chagrin, who taught the Колóese how to build proper fortresses. The Yakovian's taught the Колóese how to bring them down again. The Колóese siege train is a firm mix of humans and dwarves now; it would prove devastatingly effective when the Колóese invaded southward. The various beasts within Колóмна can, themselves, make for fearsome siege weapons and more than a few gate ways have been simply obliterated by an enraged Vittra that headbutted the structure into ruin.

Leadership
The various Principalities throughout Колóмна are ruled over by Princes and Grand Dukes. Female rulers are are enough to be remarked upon, though they do happen and the largest faction is currently controlled by Princess Natalya Estemirova of Mолоток.

The Gods of Колóмна
The Колóese believe that the Gods once walked the earth, and indeed, may still be doing so to this day. There is always a spare place setting at every table, no matter how humble, should a god chose to stop in. The gods are viewed as immortal beings who will help those who help themselves, not stooping to assist the weak and corrupted.

Shubina
The greatest among the gods is Shubina, Mother of All. She is the awe-inspiring ruler of the Golden Sea, and most revered immortal, who was on an unrelenting quest for knowledge. She is the goddess of war

Evgenia
Shubina's sister, Evgenia, is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, family and fate, is gifted with the power of divination, and yet, is surrounded by an air of secrecy. Evgenia is a very protective mother and so all households look to her in matters of the family.

Rodya
Shubina's husband, Rodya, is described as living between heaven and earth. Rodya is the epitome of radiance, beauty, kindness and fairness.

Makarka
The brother of Rodya, Makarka, alone among the gods, is known for his bravery, strength, healing powers and righteousness. Soldiers often pray to him as their patron and seek his favour in battle.

Natalka
Natalka is one of the most sensual and passionate goddesses. She is also known for being the most wicked among them, often blamed for leading young lovers astray. Particularly beautiful women are said to be direct descendants of Natalka.

Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa is the ruler of the underworld. Her namesake is given to a holiday celebrating the dead. She has pale skin and appears to be death-like. She nurtures and houses any who enter her realm. The savage nature of the realm actually tends to make her a welcome guest in any house where someone suffers agony; death is a welcome companion.

Trade
The Колóese have played a prominent part in world trade throughout the ages. Fur and wax products are chief exports from the Колóese market. Other products, such as flax, hemp, tallow, ashes and skins are key articles for the shipbuilding industry, being used as materials for the rigging, ropes and sails. Flax is also an essential raw material for the textile industry. Tallow is used for the manufacture of soap and candles and also in making cloth and leather. Ashes and potash had a variety of technical uses, for example in the textile and glass industries. Skins were the raw material for the manufacture of leather. The products enumerated are a virtual monopoly goods in the north and are regarded as quality goods.

The climate in Колóмна can be much milder than one might expect. Spring, summer, fall and winter each have their own unique personalities. Winters are harsh in the north with summers being shorter, but notably hot at times. The more recently conquered southern regions boast longer growing seasons. In a land as varied as Колóмна, these seasons can be quite different depending on where you live.

The southern regions winters are shorter and milder, while daytime summer temperatures normally range from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. The air is relatively humid here, making warm days feel warmer and cold days colder. However, even in winter months, snow is rare near any southern coast.

The North has the climate many people falsely associate with all of Колóмна. Winters here are long, cold and dry, with sub-zero temperatures lasting several months. There is also much more snow here. Summers may be short, but temperatures are often a comfortable 15 degrees, with occasional peaks of up to 30 degrees.

Колóмна is a land of spectacular scenery. From towering snow tipped mountain peaks to white sand beaches, there is a place for everyone to visit. In the north the land is a wild and savage place of deep valleys, sharp peaked vistas, thundering rivers, dense forest that gives way abruptly to the ocean and steppe any horseman would love.

To the south, separated from Колóмна by the Great Deep is Novyye, an island conquered in the last hundred years. The climate is far more mild here, the valleys not quite as deep, and the rivers wide and deep. It is a land of plenty and has provided the Колóese with great wealth and prosperity.

Princess Natalya Estemirova of Mолоток
Prince Anders Ehnmark of Varjagŭ
Grand Duke Pavel Kirill of Kŭlbjagŭ
Prince Adlan Khasanov of Rytarĭ
Grand Duke Sven Lindahl of Ovdotĭja
Prince Igor Domnikov of Kostelĭ
High King Rydz-Śmigły of Yakovia
Lord Commander Jaako Virkkunen of the Novyye Protectorate

The Valgor is a large tribe of lizard-like humanoids. They are tribal and savage but still partly civilized. They have dominated the small eastern island and have started expanding outwards. They live quite isolated from each other but do form close communities. They are ruled by Valgor Matriarchs, like queens. The Valgor do use steel and metal weapons and armor, but do still wear traditional tribal clothing, weapons, armors, and tools.

Valgor

The Valgor was once at a state of prosperity. They had risen from primal, feral creatures into a working society, but were still leaderless at this time. They harvested resources and discovered many techs like fire and tools. Within a few years, a new Nation was born. Tribal and still savage, the Valgor had dominated their homeland. A few years later, they began selecting leaders. The strongest, fastest, smartest females were chosen as candidates for a title they named "Sathlighan" or "Matriarch" in English. The first Matriarch was chosen and the Nation prospered further. Buildings were constructed and walls were made. Armor was built, metalworking and mines were discovered. The Nation had never been as prosperous as this. However, overpopulation started to kick in. Resources were being overconsumed and food was running out. Prey had started migrating away and the tribe began to ration their food supplies. They knew they needed to expand, so the built a crude fleet of ships and sailed out to sea to find new lands. They sailed west and quickly found the mainland and started colonization. Within a few weeks, new camps and villages were built and migrating Valgor were sent from their homeland to colonize the new world. However, intelligent life was discovered in the new world. The Valgor realized that they might need to fight for territory and race for expansion. They still remain undiscovered, but have sent spies to scout the outer rims of the other Nations outskirts to learn more about them. They might reveal themselves at some point and may start diplomatic action... or war.

The Valgor are tribal, building crude but functional structures, armor, tools, weapons, and more. They are quite religious, but they do not worship gods or greater entities, but they do serve their matriarch. They lay eggs like lizards do and prefer warm climates. They build structures based on their enviromnent, like wood huts and animal skin tents in forests, grass, stick, and animal hide tents and huts, cave houses in mountains and so on and so forth. The Valgor currently have not interacted or have been discovered by any other humanoid races.

The Valgor recruit villagers and civilians into hunters, soldiers, and guards. Valgor quickly expand their territory and hunting grounds and build camps and outposts. Most camps are hunting and military camps that they use to defend their territory and house their hunters near or in their hunting grounds. Hunting parties and guard patrols are consistent, switching between day and night hunter and guard parties.

The Valgor are commanded by the Matriarch and the Matriarch council. The Matriarch is always the largest, smartest, and strongest female in the clan. The Matriarch bloodline does not spread far and many Matriarchs can live more than double the natural lifespan of normal Valgor. The Valgor are divided between ranks. The lowest being the least respected, and the highest being the most respected and followed. Army ranks is not the only ranking system. There are other ranks like Hunter ranks, Civilian ranks, Worker ranks, e.g. There is little to no crime in Valgor society due to free resource collection and trading. The Valgor find it easier to negotiate than fight, and because of this, there is no international warfare. After the colonization of the mainlands, each settlement has divided into new Clans. Rules, laws, ranks, and government is different in each clan, but all are peaceful to each other.

The Valgor are not very religious, but they do have certain restrictions on apparel, weapons, and buildings.

The Valgor produce their own resources from wood to animal hide. They build farms to feed livestock, house livestock, build mines, harvest wood, and more. The Valgor are carnivores however, so fruits and vegetables do not help them. They only grow crops to feed livestock.

Map: WIP

TBA

There are currently 3 Clans of the Valgor Nation.

Ga'vasahn: The first Clan. The Ga'vasahn built the foundation of the Nation, and controls all of the Valgor homeland. Population: 1834603

Sithasgan: The second Clan. The Sithasgan has a different language compared to the other clans, but all Clans understand them and the Sithasgan understand the others. The Sithasgan control a small portion of the claimed land on the mainland. Population: 1662

Kithas: The Kithas is a war Clan. Almost all of their members are military and hunters. They control the largest portion of the currently controlled land on the mainland, and have many small camps scattered everywhere. Population: 279067

TBA

=Kulskiel=

Goblins that barely stand over 4 feet tall, they commonly have greenish yellow skin, and are known to have various dark hair colors, such as black, brown, dark green, and on rare occasions dark blue. Their eyes come in red, green, blue, and yellow, and are highly reflective, making them appear as though they glow, especially in the dark. Their hands have three fingers which bare dark, almost black claws upon them, although these are rarely used. A striking feature of these goblins is that they have small tusks and fangs protruding from their mouths. They are also known for giving birth in litters of up to four, and it is this very fact that they are the largest growing race within Zamnelkov, and are in fact more numerous than the other races. They are also the masters of the land, holding the majority of political power and having created the current government. They are located throughout all the land, although mainly reside within the cities and towns, as well as in the mountains and hills of Zamnelkov. They are considered to be ambitious, devious, and reckless, almost to the point where some even deem them suicidal when they are rallied beyond a certain cause. They are foreigners, having coming to these lands roughly three centuries prior from a land called Stestemya, originally as explorers, then raiders, and eventually conquerors.
=Burvengi=

The larger of the two goblinoid species, the Bugbears stand on average at 6’8”. Unlike the Kulskiel goblins they have yellowish skin, sometimes bordering on green, causing some to confuse them as orcs. Like their goblin cousins they have tusks and fangs protruding from the mouths, and three fingers on each hand ending in black claws. Their eyes come in red, yellow, blue, and green, and heavily reflect light to the point where they seem to glow, especially in the dark. Their hair colors typically come in brown, black, and red, which extends to their bodies, which are particularly hairy and fur covered. Other than their height and their larger muscle mass, what does set them apart from their goblin compatriots is the fact that they have a bear like nose. Their primary role within Zamnelkov comes in the form of enforcers, soldiers, body guards, and hunter, typically being valued for their brawn rather than their brains by their goblin masters. They commonly live near goblins, but it is also fairly common for them to live in their own villages in the hills.
=Anqualan=

A Wood Elven people, they typically stand around 5’7” and have olive skin, and are known for having brown to sometimes auburn hair. Their eye colors range from blue, green, to amethyst, with their facial features commonly being sharp and slender. Unlike Elves of other lands, Anqualan elves live up to 500 years, potentially more if they use magic to extend their life spans. Anqualan Elves physically age until, in comparison to humans, to their 40s, at which point their hair and eyes will begin to lose color, with the eldest having pure white hair and eyes. Anqualans also typically live in the north of Zamnelkov in the region of Teriasevo, and most prefer to live in more rural environments, especially within the forests. They are the oldest race to be present in Zamnelkov, once lording over one of the corelands of the Muha Imperium and later their own realm. They have since fallen from grace, many retreating to the woods both before and after the Zamnel Wars.
=Gsomvrosian=

Standing at 5’9” tall on average, these humans are olive skinned with brown or black hair, only very rarely holding auburn hair. The Gsomvrosians have slender and sharp features, much like the Anqualans, although this is from centuries of interbreeding with them. Because of this they also share their eye colors, which are commonly green and blue, but also amethyst at times. These humans are present throughout much of Southern Zemnalkov, particularly the regions of Gsokevnia and Kremrelvka, they are the descendants of the Elkadan that traveled north and integrated for a time in Anqualan society. They primarily live in the cities, rural villages, and farmlands, serving as a sort of worker’s class.
=Varkovnian=
Also known as Varkans, the Varkovnians are a rather recent addition to Zemnalkov, having been the native people of the region that the Zemnal call Semelia, and can also be found in the southern western parts of Krenirelvka. They are a dusky olive to light brown skinned people with predominantly dark hair, and thick stocky builds. Those that do live in Zemnalkov are a rural people, living in villages and hamlets in the woods and grasslands of the west.
=Elkadan=
The Elkadan are the original humans to have settled in the country that is now Zemnalkov, primarily settling its southern lands. They are a mixed people, having pale to olive skin, usually standing around 5’11” on average, and are known for their black hair and blue eyes. They are a minority even among the Gsomvrosians, and most of them live in the very south of Zemnalkov, usually migrating from southern lands. They primarily live in small clan based hamlets and villages spread throughout the hills of Krenirelvka

=The First Age| The Muha Imperium=
Much of what is now the eastern lands of Zemnalkov was once called Anqualith, ruled by the Anqualans, a race of Wood Elves who had a great respect for the woods, typically living in harmony with it in accordance with the doctrines of their god Pericar. That was until the Muha Imperium came marching through their hills and woods, giving the Anqualans two choices, join them or die. Those that refused, had their forest homes burned and their children enslaved. This would be one of Muha’s first major conquests outside of their home territories, and as both peoples were elves, the Muha attempted integration in one of their first new territories. Given their proximity and elvish bloodlines, the Anqualans slowly but surely became an integral part within the Muha Imperium, becoming one of her core territories the further the Imperium expanded, her sons and daughters fighting first and foremost for the Imperial Crown rather than the forests of their homeland. While the Anqualans still respected their old ways and the forests, they took more and more to the urbanizing ways of the Muha, making them a well developed and stable land.
=2nd Age, 1-223| The Fall of Muha and the Elkadan Migration=
Despite their loyalty to the empire, the continued corruption and atrocities that had sprung from Muha, against Anqualans amongst many others no less, rebellion had stirred in the heart of Anqualith, being one of the last of its client states to turn on the Imperium. Anqualith gained its sovereignty although this sovereignty would be challenged when the Elkadan, a race of men, had sacked the Muha capital of Muhakim. The Elkadan were not satisified with their conquests to the south, and as they divvied up their conquered land, more and more ambitious clans headed north, into Anqualith, confusing the the Anqualans for the Muha. This began the barbarian invasions that the Regency of Anqualith was ill prepared for, and much of their southern lands were taken by the human scourge, who quickly turned it into a mass of petty kingdoms and dukedoms as they had in the south, no one kingdom remaining large for long due to the gavelkind inheritance laws that the Elkadan partook. This era saw a loss in power and influence in Anqualith, as outlying cities broke off on their own as city states, creating a fractured and decentralized region where the Elkadan and Anqualans shared a tense peace that was typically broken by minor states warring with each other over land and trade disputes.
=2nd Age, 234-244| The Olman War of Aggression=
Further south, one of the Elkadan realms calling itself Olma, began a campaign of rapid expansion after its king, Pelom the Bold had gathered enough wealth and influence to create an army whose backbone was made of heavy units and cavalry, quickly conquering many of the southern Elkadan realms. This conquest did not stop in the south however, as Pelom wanted to unite all Elkadans under his power, which included those that had created their realms in Gsokevnia, Krenirelvka, and Southern Teriasevo. While the realms in Krenirelvka had been easily conquered, the further and further the Olmans attempted to push into Gsokevnia and Teriasevo, the more difficult the terrain was for their cavalry, and the more and more the Anqualan Elves had joined with their Elkadan neighbors to push off the Olman invasion. This created a deeper bond between the Elkadan and Anqualans of the region.
=2nd Age, 244-310| Rise of Anqualan Power=
The Olman invasion, while it had left most of Krenirelvka and Gsokevnia under the rule of Olma, also granted Anqualith a great deal of influence as the largest nation capable of standing against Olma. Most of the Anqualan states had rejoined the Regency of Anqualith as client states, and those remaining Elkadan kingdoms that had resisted Olman invasion turned to the Anqualans for protection and guidance, becoming marches under the rule of Regent Protector Naethala Caesthil. This began an age of peace for Anqualith, and their culture and religion of Pericaran spread to the Elkadan, who began to intermarry with the Anqualan people. Pogroms that occurred against the elves in Olman territory ensured that many of these Elves fled to Anqualith, integrating into their society and bringing new trades and greater population.
=2nd Age, 312-377| The Olman Wars of Humiliation=
As Anqualith’s power waxed, Olma’s power began to wane. To further increase their wealth and power, the Kingdom of Olma under the leadership of King Pelom IV began a new series of wars to expand Olman territory. Their first targets were in the north of Olma, namely the lands of Ok’Va and the remaining Elkadan Marches, now loyal to Anqualith. Pelom’s personally led the campaign into Ok’Va expecting an easy victory, while his Generals invaded the Elkadan Marches. Both campaigns were met with failure, as Anqualith was quick to send her armies south to defend the Marches, and sent warriors and supplies into Ok’Va as mercenaries to aid in their unconventional war. This was further expediated when King Pelom IV was killed in Ok’Va and his successor, Kelvad instead opted to invade the remnants of Muha. Anqualith allied with Muha and attacked Olma in the north as Muha raided the south.
=2nd Age, 377-422| The Naethalan Reconquests=
As the Olman Wars of Humiliation ended, and the Olman Civil War began, Regent Protector Naethala saw this as an opporunity to fully reconquer the lands that Anqualith had lost for centuries ago. She launched a full on invasion of the Olman lands in the regions of Gsokevnia and Krenirelvka, lands that had once belonged to Anqualith before the Elkadan migration. Too busy with their civil war, and later the Kearig Rebellion, Anqualith was able to fully reconquered the lands the Olma, and in the past, the Elkadan had taken from the proud nation. To further consolidate Anqualith, both the Anqualan Client states and the Elkadan Marches were fully integrated into Anqualith.
=2nd Age, 431-488| Rise of the Gsomvrosians=
With the Elkadans in the north fully integrated into Anqualith, they began to adopt the culture and religion of the Anqualans, and even began to intermarry with them. This spread humans across Anqualith, and these humans, with some elven blood began to see themselves as different from the Elkadans in the south. This was the rise of the Gsomvrosians, who began to serve as the rank and file soldiers in the Anqualan military, but also began serving as workers and servants, despite still holding the majority population in the south and in Krenirelvka. Their nobility was slowly being replaced by Anqualan nobility, their cities no longer having human lords and ladies within them. To offset discontent in this theme, the Anqualans granted the Gsomvrosians various castles and feudal holdings to rule over, to give them a sense of importance and governance in the land, reviving old human noble houses for this purpose.
=2nd Age, 501-542| The Algaenan Decline=
Despite the seeming rise to power that Anqualith had under the leadership of Naethala Caesthil, many Anqualans began to adopt their old ways of being more in tune with nature, as they were before the Muha conquest of Anqualith. More and more Anqualans began to leave the cities to live in the woods in more rural lifestyles once more, while the humans tended more to the cities, especially in the south. It was during this era that trade began to falter with the nascent Kingdom of Maradium and the declining Vozinya. Corruption among the nobility was growing ever more common as they believed that no nation in their immediate vicinity could challenge Anqualith, and it was also during this time that mages began practicing darker magics. This coincided with the appearance of Zemnalkov’s most notable monster, Werewolves, who first seemed to have plagued human villages. However the most egregious corruption was when Regent Protector Naethala Caesthil was assassinated during an elk hunt by unknown parties, but most attribute it to Yelsenra Algaenan, who was elected as the new Regent Protect after Naethala’s death. Regent Protector Yelsenra then proceeded to reverse Naethala’s gifting of territories to Gsomvrosians, and began heavily taxing them and in many cases even revoking their titles with falsified charges of treason. To further solidify her position, she granted her family members these titles instead, until her house was the most powerful in Anqualith. With that power, and the support of the more corrupt nobility, she disbanded the Regency and named herself Imperatrix, styling herself as an old Muha Imperator.
=2nd Age, 560-604| The Berman War=
While the Gsomvrosians were given castles to rule over, and they were the majority in most southern cities and villages, Castle Berman had become a city in itself over the century since it was given to the House of Berman despite the heavy taxations and revocations of titles by Imperatrix Yelsenra. It’s central location within the Regency, now the Imperium, and its production of iron in the nearby hills made it a stopping point for trade, granting it wealth and political power that almost matched the Regency’s capital of Kelsenpolis. This invoked jealousy in the Imperatrix, who in turn, placed heavy tariffs and taxes on the town of Berman. Knowing full well that she could not simply accuse the House of Berman of treason due to their political power, she instead opted to use something more mischievous. Being a Mage herself, and a practitioner of the darker magics some Anqualans had been experimenting with, she had used her sorcery to bind various werewolves to her will. Sending these werewolves to Castle Berman, many of them ravaged the town below while that largest and strongest of these snuck into the castle to kill the Bermans. Unfortunately for this werewolf, Lord Alben Berman had a silver gilded sword forged due to the already increasing werewolf problem throughout the country. Using this sword, he wounded the werewolf, which not only weakened it but broke the hold that Yelsenra held over the beast. Capturing it, Lord Alben learned from the beast that it was Yelsenra that had forced it to attack the Berman family. Outraged, Lord Alben rose the forces loyal to him, many of which involved now titleless lords and their followers, beginning the Berman War. Considered by some to be a civil war, it pitted Gsomvrosians against Anqualans, although many Anqualans that had grown discontent with the corruption in their society had risen up as well. This war would wage for over 40 years, and culminated in the sacking of Kelsenpolis, and the fracturing of Anqualith into various petty kingdoms and city states.
=2nd Age, 629-642| The Krenirelvka-Vozinya War=
One of the largest of the kingdoms that formed after the fall of Anqualith was the Kingdom of Krenirelvka, which named itself after the region due to its dominance of it. Led by King Akaitos Athleon I, the Kingdom expanded its borders to encompass all of Krenirelvka. However the reign of King Akaitos was short, as he died when his horse bucked he fell off of a cliff path, crashing his head on the rocks below. His younger brother Melodios took the throne, who wanted to prove himself to the nobility of the realm that he was indeed strong and capable. He looked south to the lands of Vozinya, which had become the State of Varkovnia. Noticing their civil war between Republican Forces and the ruling Varkov Dynasty, King Melodios promised an easy conquest, and on the eve of the Republicans’ victory, launched an invasion of the newly revived Vozinya. It was after the initial battles that Prince Zivko Varkov approached King Melodious requesting his aid in reseating him as the sovereign ruler of Varkovnia. Wanting to use his forces to bolster his own, Melodious agreed; However Melodious was arrogant and boasted much to his generals of how he was going to betray Prince Zivko and easily conquer Vozinya for himself. This word spread, first to the soldiers of Krenirelvka, and then to the soldiers of the Varkovs, and then to Zivko Varkov himself. Enraged, the Prince entered Melodious’ tent and stabbed him with a dagger, quickly fleeing. The ensuing chaos created a battle between the Varkov and Athleon hosts which decimated them enough that the Republican forces crushed them in the morning. This defeat left Krenirelvka in a weakened state, as most of their warriors had either died or fled, delving deep into the woods of Varkovnia and the hills of Krenirelvka, many turning to banditry. Without a king and heir, the nobility of the realm quickly divvied up the kingdom between themselves, splintering it apart once more.
=2nd Age, 655-676| Zemnal Migration=
During Anqualith’s moment of weakness and splintering, a strange new people began landing on their western shores in what is now known as the region of Yahkovy, so named by these new comers. These new comers were a group of Goblins known as the Kulskiel, explorers from a western land that they named Stestemya. At first, these Goblins were nothing more than adventurers and explorers who were unchallenged by the Anqualans of the area as the elves had all but abandoned the urban centers of the region. The Kulskiel named the region Yahkovy, which in their tongue meant Green Mountains, and within a few years, more and more of their kind came, bringing with them the Bugbears called Burvengi. Where they were once explorers, they quickly turned to raiding, as their homeland was a dying wasteland, and many of these goblinoids which came to be known as the Zamnel “The Bastards” by the Anqualans and Gsomvrosians, began colonizing Yahkovy, taking over the ruined and abandoned cities left behind by the Anqualans that retreated to the woods. The first major raiding however took place further west, and further south. Wanting easy loot and plunder, the Zamnel saw the weakness of what was once the kingdom of Krenirelvka, and put the nail in the coffin for those stagnating realms, quickly travelling south in hordes to loot and sack the cities and castles of that hilly region. It was there that the Zamnel also noticed the failing republic of Vozinya, and more ambitious Goblin hordes travelled even further south, sacking the last of their cities and taking the last of their riches, bringing them back north to the new city the Zamnel had founded in the ruins, the city of Pekevdorog.
=2nd Age, 679-743| The Zamnel Wars=
With riches coming to Pekevdorog from the south, the Zamnel hordes and pirate captains has founded a rather anarchic city. Up until this point they had been primarily been ruled by pirate captains who organized their fleets, but now they had a land that provided food and water to them, supplies to build a civilization, and their gold and silver, as well as the weapons and armor they had looted from the southern lands granted them new opportunities. The captains and admirals agreed that to maximize their gains, they needed an organized force to fully conquer and subjugate the lands. These lord captains cast the first vote for a War Master, one that would lead them in war and conquest, and the first of the War Masters was Sivona Eilvankon. It was Sivona that realized their unrestrained looting of Krenirelvka and Vozinya made those lands undeveloped and useless to rule over, and so instead she looked east, beyond the mountains to the Anqualan heartlands of Teriasevo and Gsokevnia. This was the beginning of the Zamnel wars, as War Master Sivona led her Goblinoids hordes not only north around the Yahkovy Mountains, but through them as well, these goblins digging tunnels and exploring through caves that had long been ignored by Elves and Men. Many of the city states and petty kingdoms to the east created alliances and leagues too late, as the more lands that fell to the Goblin horde, the more nails were hammered into the coffin, until finally it was Goblin banners that flew above the cities of Teriasevo.
=2nd Age, 744-750| The Rise of the Zamnelkov Republic=
After the successful conquest of Teriasevo and the last vestiges of the Anqualan and Gsomvrosian territories, the Zemnal had quickly gone about making claims for their own territories, taking the cities to forge their own realms. Initially, these nascent realms were sovereign and independent, but Warmaster Sivona feared that being as splintered as the people they had conquered would jeopardize their position in their new home, leaving them vulnerable to exterior conquest, as the Anqualans and Gsomvrosians they themselves had conquered. Calling a meeting Sivona brought forth the idea to keep these conquered realms united in a military capacity as an alliance. This was accepted by the newly self appointed Geruks, the rulers of the new city states, to maintain control over their newly conquered subjects. The ensure control was had, the position of warmaster would be elected from among the Geruks every 10 years. However, the centralization of the Grand Duchy of Muoarma to the south was of great concern to the Geruks, who formed into the Liga Baninik, and so a new meeting was called that reformed the rule of Warmaster to not only be the highest general of the Liga Baninik but also to grant it more responsibility of ensuring continued cohesion between it, but most importantly also granting the title the responsibility of dealing with foreign powers diplomatically. Over time this position became known as the Baskozh, and the Liga Baninik formed the Zamnelkov Republic.
=2nd Age, 811-813| Krechma’s War=
With the title of Baskozh being formed, the title of Warmaster was reduced in standing to that of the Baskozh’s chief military advisor, holding the responsibility for fielding the armies of the Baskozh and maintaining them. It was during this era that a bugbear named Krechma was named Warmaster for Baskozh Kelyeta Ehzvanponitz near the end of her 10 year term. When her term had ended, Aniyavelpi Ernvanov was elected as Baskozh by the Liga Baninik, and while she kept much of the Baskoncil from her predecessor, she also enacted a law that formally barred non Goblins from voting on a Baskozh or even on a Geruk, hoping to solidify Goblin rule over the conquered Anqualan and Gsomvrosian populations. This however did not sit well with Krechma, who quickly assassinated Aniyavelpi with the aid of her own bugbear guards. This caused many of the Geruks to raise up their armies to arrest Krechma for his treason, however as many of their own soldiers were Bugbears, many of them deserted and rallied to Krechma, as this new voting law was very clearly a slight against their king despite their long service to the Kulskiel. This strengthened Krechma and weakened the Geruks that opposed him, and after a quick war he defeated the Geruks that he had deemed “rebellious”. While the newly elected Geruks had elected Taniyana Khmechogan as the new Baskozh, Krechma went off and crushed the various rebellions started by Anqualans and Gsomvrosians that saw this as an opportunity to escape the yolk of the Zamnel. The newly appointed Baskozh Taniyana made an amendment to the election law with Krechma over her shoulder that permitted both Goblins and Bugbears to vote for the Geruks and the Baskozh.
=2nd Age, 830-841| The Dradark War=
Having coming from the dying lands of Stestemya, it would only be a matter of time before the word spread of the Zamnel’s success in these new eastern lands. Another race from their homeland came, the Dradarks, those that had once ruled over and driven away the Kulskiel and Burvengi. The Dradarks came to be known by another name by the Anqualans and Gsomvrosians however, who called them Hobgoblins. When these hobgoblins appeared, they came first as explorers and scouts, but in a panic the Kulskiel Geruks had them executed to prevent more from coming. Some of them escaped and returned to Stestemya however, and not before long, A horde of ships invaded the region, being led by their own Warmaster, Zarkhan Kurrich, who was quick to attack and sack the city of Evekna and then march his way further north to Pekevdorog, where smaller armies led by his trust generals went further south into Krenirelvka, and others sailed around, engaging Zemnalkov fleets and eventually landing of the eastern shores of Teriasevo. The initial years of the war did not go well as more and more armies poured in from out west, and more cities were occupied, which in turn made the Dradark more bold. With their arrogance came ambition, and the Dradark went even further south than Zamnelkov, to invade the lands of Ok’Va, Varkovnia, and Muoarma, viewing the native realms as weak. They were entirely unprepared for this however, as when they entered Ok’Va, they were bogged down by their swampy terrain and guerilla tactics. Viewing Ok’Va as a waste of time and resources, they instead opted to invade Muoarma instead, although were surprised by a fully prepared army, which made great use of their heavy cavalry against the hobgoblin threat, pushing them back northwards. Likewise, in Zemnalkov, the Hobgoblins were facing loses trying to conquer goblins and elves alike, who used hit and run tactics and were hard to route out of their hills and forests, despite being able to handedly conquer and occupy the urban centers. With a great many of their forces having been repelled and decimated in failed excursions into the south, and the dwindling of their forces in Teriasevo, the Zamnelkovians regrouped, catching Warmaster Zarkhan’s main force by surprise. While the battle was bloody and the Zamnelkovians were outnumbered, their ambush worked heavily in their favor and Dradark force was almost entirely obliterated. For the next several years, the war boiled down to a war of reconquest and clean up until the last of the hobgoblins were repelled or captured. Those that were however were brutally executed, a punishment that would send the message that the Kulskiel goblins would never again be conquered and ruled by hobgoblins.
=2nd Age, 943-946| The Conquest of Semelia=
With the fall of Vozinya and the rise of the nation of Mertvi Zhyvi, the area that once belonged to Vozinya known as Semelia had become split off from the rest of Vozinya, and had descended into a relatively powerless land with no central authority, being made up almost entirely of villages and hamlets, with the once prosperous port city of Shevanevo, which fell into disrepair, becoming a disheveled town, and the trade city of Kazimzek, which had been sacked by the Goblins nearly two centuries before, becoming a shadow of its former self, little more than a ruin filled with squatters that had become a ramshackle trading port. Despite being decentralized it was able to maintain its sovereignty, with the two towns of Kazimzek and Shevanevo effectively serving as city states that unified against exterior threats. However those threats were usually little more than bandit kings and warlords, or the occasional powerful monster threatening the countryside. Nominally their relation to Zemnalkov had been cordial yet wary due to their prior conquests and of course, sacking of Zovinya. The two towns had mostly done peaceful trade with Zamnelkov, however when pirates began coming out of Kazimzek to raid Zamnelkovian coasts and merchant ships, this could not stand. Baskozh Hjaneela Voskeron, wanting to expand her influence and bring the Semelian lands under Zemnalkov’s fold, used this as a pretense for war, and so personally led the invasion of Semelia. The war to occupy the two towns was relatively quick, however conquering the surrounding countryside proved to be difficult leading to three more years of hunting down militias and torching resisting villages. When the majority of the people surrendered, the question of how to manage conquered lands and integrate them was brought forth by the Liga Bananik, as they did not want these conquered lands falling under the jurisdiction of the Baskozh and granting the title more power. Instead the Liga Bananik voted to create a system of Oblasts, which would be ruled jointly by three Geruks, who would rotate out of ruling them every five years.

=Overview=
The Government of Zemnalkov is a democratic one, to an extent, more specifically it is a Republic, and more importantly, a Federation of Republics. The land is made up of various city states and their surrounding territories, each being a sovereign realm that pledges its military and economic strength to the Republic while maintaining their own governments and laws. The government of Zemnalkov is split between two major bodies, the Baskozh and their
=The Baskozh=

=The Liga Baninik=

=Laws=

=Rights=

-House-
Current Leader: Example
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=Yahkovy=

=Teriasevo=

=Gsokevnia=

=Krenirelvka=

=Semelia=

=Cities=

=Magic=
Magic is not entirely a common practice in Zemnalkov but it is also not one that is hated or frowned upon as it might be by other cultures. It is seen as a gift and a curiosity, both because it held some religious significance for the Anqualan and Gsomvrosians, but also because the Zemnal Goblinoids view it as an avenue of power. It is because of this that magi are their own social class of high standing, and they commonly serve as advisors or members of councils or even politicians themselves. They are such an established class that it is common for the major cities to harbor universities and academies dedicated solely to the learning of magic, and they actively seek out those with magic potential. The magic itself that is practiced in Zemnalkov comes from two different schools of magic, the first being Zemnal magic, which is based more on destruction and war, and so typically makes use of more arcane and fire based magics, where as the Anqualan school of magic is based more on natural magics that are based around nature, so typically earthern and elemental magics. The vast majority of magical learning derives mostly from Anqualan teachings however, something the Kulskiel goblins readily picked up on.
=Education=

=Sciences=

=Institutions=

=Military Alliances=

=Specific Agreements=
Varkovnia- Trade Deal between nations to permit merchants and movement between realms in exchange for mutual recognition of sovereignty over respective claims. Allowance of mercenaries to be hired from Zemnalkov by Princezna Czermak.
=Good Terms=

=Bad Terms=

=The Turjhits=
The Estate of Burghers, the Merchant Class, and city dwellers
=The Burvoks=
The Estate of the Burvengi Bugbear Clans
=The Dvoyanstar=
The Estate of the landed nobility the exist in the more rural parts of
=The Khaldukun=
The Estate of the Mages, Wizards, and Sorcerers
=The Kiroskym=
The Estate that is the common folk, particularly those living in more rural environments