Government Form:
Government by Consensus

Demographics:
There is only one people who call Revelation their home, and that is the Ojir Amaun. The People of the Oasis. Though they might once have been simply Human, the Ojir Amaun have adapted to their home in the centuries since the rifts first carried them to it. The unending day has seen their ability to see in the darkness all but disappear, and more visibly the harsh sands have made their skin tough and waxy. Of course, it is not common to see one the Oasis inhabitants showing much skin at all. Though uncommon, sandstorms wash over the Oasis on occasion, violent winds carrying sand that has spent decades baking in an endless sun. Given the alternative few don’t cover up, just in case.

The People of the Oasis still look Human, at least mostly. Small details like thicker, longer eyelashes, thinner lips, and smaller noses are usually enough to distinguish them from their ancestors, however. And that is without considering the odd sheen of their dry skin. Yet there can be no doubting what the People of the Oasis were for they are not that far gone from their Humanity.

Population:
Some hundreds of thousands call the Oasis home.



Plane Description:
Before the Rifts, there can be no discussion of Revelation. How can one discuss what is not? That which is without space, time, or magic, but still is? If there is a word that exists which could describe what it might have been in those days, it would be potential. A plane of potential. One which sat patiently, content to be nothing, until it was given greater purpose.

None know the name of the soul that first stepped foot in Revelation. They are forgotten, but for the knowledge that their bones are among those that litter the desert they created. For when that first soul gazed into potential itself they saw only what they most feared they would: the very thing they’d fled from. An ocean of sand, in every direction, forever. A day which never ended illuminated by a light without source that cut through any shadow. Through any reprieve. Revelation was what they, in their heart, believed it would be before they ever saw it.

It was a fear that killed more than could be imagined. The Bone Garden stands as testament to the horror that followed the shaping of potential into a reality. Skeletons beyond counting turning miles of sand into a forest of bones. What the People of the Oasis know today is that none of the ones who were meant to survive did so. Only those most accustomed to deprivation endured, and of them only the barest fraction rejected death beyond the point that their minds failed them.

Madness. In a world of potential alone, where faith was all that mattered, it was the ultimate solution. Where the sane saw sand, felt sand, and cursed sand, the mad saw an impossible oasis in the distance and believed in it more than they had ever believed in anything in their lives. It would only be later generations that came to revere that moment as the Revelation itself, when all that was unknown became clear. For those maddened, dying, dregs? It was an imagined oasis that they plunged their hands into and drank from, only to find it had always been real.

An Oasis they knew would grow. Faith, against reality and all its illusions, kept the Oasis alive and allowed its expansion. After that? It no longer took the mad, for the sane had seen it. Potential cared only for the truth of the soul, and so the truth of the Ojir Amaun became the truth of the world itself.

History:
It is said that that the Ojir Amaun’s ancient ancestors, when they still lived on the Birthworld, were known as the Ojir Vara. The People of Dusk. Those who forged an empire at the end of their world, where the mythical sun set last upon a people who commanded countless leagues beyond their sight. Or at least, that is what is said. Surely there lie the bones beyond counting in the Garden, the remains of a vast migration, but who is to say what tales of the past are the truth? History since after the Arrival has been scarcely recorded in the Oasis. Of ancient days? Legends, myths, and old tales passed down among generations and distorted by the repetition are what remain.

What is known is that fear and doubt created Revelation, and that madness saved the few who clung to life amidst that first grave error. More than madness, faith. It is that which has been taught to every generation, and that which is the foundation of Ojir Amaun’s history. As for what happened after the birth of the Oasis? Other survivors came, surely, and time passed. How much time is an open question, for in a world without any way to track such things beyond what can be devised it took time before its passage was even marked. One hundred and forty-six thousand turns of the Timeglass in the Hall of Celebration ago the Ojit Amaun began track the passage of time in Revelation.

One hundred and twenty thousand turns ago the Oasis grew, and there was discovered enough new land for a thousand families. One hundred and ten thousand turns ago there is the first record of a Thirstless One, the monstrous remnant of an ancient migrant so deeply lost that they have imagined themselves a part of the desert which devoured them. Fifteen died returning that lost soul to the cycle of rebirth. Another would not be seen for sixteen thousand turns, when the Oasis again expanded. That time there was space enough for three thousand families. The rest of recorded history reads much the same, the Oasis grows, and at times things come from the sands. Manifestations of fear, or ghosts from the past, sometimes worse. Sixty-five thousand turns ago a family afflicted by Mind-sickness fled the Oasis. A thousand turns later the result of their illness, unchecked and alone, came back and killed at least five hundred before vanishing again into the desert. It has not been seen or heard of since, though little was recorded of it and in the generations since other horrors have found their way into the Oasis and perished.

Though, it must be noted that such events are rare. That they are recorded in the formal history in the Hall of Celebration at all tells that they eclipsed all other issues of the day. The vast majority of Revelation’s history, before or after the Timeglass, has passed unmarked. Tens of thousands of turns without a single record. The People of the Oasis live simply, they resolve what issues they have on their own, and they prefer to share what stories they have among each other. The Oasis grows, life is good, and they are ever prepared to safeguard themselves and their people.

The past has never been the concern of the Ojir Amaun. Rather, as a people they look as one to what they know to be a bright future.

Culture and Society:
What do a people become, five hundred years after ever needing to fight one another? Moreover, what happens if the ancestors of those people were almost entirely common folk and not artists, priests, or architects? The answer is they create something of their own, from what little they know, which belongs to each and every one of them. Equally. The Ojir Amaun are fiercely independent, and yet tremendously generous.

They have never shied away from coming to the aid of their people, but neither have they waited for orders from on high. What government burdens the People of the Oasis serves less as a source of direction and more as a distraction for those less inclined to tackle problems head on. If one of the people desires a home, they build it. If they want food? They farm it. Or they remain in their familial homes and take on other chores, if they please. Even then, none can force them into such an arrangement.

The Ojir Amaun are steadfast in their faith and in their freedom. Should there be any hint of coercion in the community, threats or blackmail, it is all but expected that the community itself deal with the problem. If one is not free, none are. Moreover, why does the Oasis grow if not for a better future for all? For these reasons it is not uncommon to see those who feel compelled to leave their family or village provided for one community or another until they can build their own home and farm their own land. The people share not just a desire for their own personal freedom, but a deep bond with each other and their community.

From that bond comes their commitment to the defense of their self and the greater whole. There may be no enemies in Revelation but for mistakes and ghosts beyond the Oasis, but it is folly to presume these things would never approach. They have done so before.

So, all the People of the Oasis carry arms. A wooden club, a bow and arrow, an ancient sword, or some new dagger forged from metal recycled over centuries. Whatever the implement, they stand ready. All are armed, always, for the safety of everyone. It is, however, not something often spoken of.

By and large the population of the Oasis is one content to see the day through and retire to comfort. As there is no shade from the light of Revelation, no darkness but that behind one’s eyes, the Ojir Amaun spend much of their time indoors among their friends and family resting. Each household has its own morning and night, as such things are a foreign notion to the people of Revelation, only syncing its hours of rest and work with close friends or neighbours.

Within those homes is great humor and closeness. There is no real concept of propriety among ones own kin, that being anyone close enough to be invited into the home, among the People of the Oasis. Generations ago they huddled together because they were few and precious, and now? They would say that it is just the better way. When all are aware of who is doing what with who and why, or who is feeling sick, or who is in need, peace tends to win out. Friends help friends, and issues get worked out willingly or not.

It is not a universal means of living, and plenty of the Ojir Amaun live alone or in insular communities, but it is not an understatement to say that these exceptions are not common. Perhaps, in part, because the faith of the People of the Oasis is practiced with others. From a young age the people’s children are taught what all know to be true: that the Oasis grows, that they have a soul everlasting and ever learning, and that they have lived before and will live again.

The People of the Oasis see themselves as the conscious mind of their very reality, and their souls are the living memory and will of that reality. They believe that every one of them has lived before and will live again, their souls going from life to life and accumulating knowledge and experience that will enrich reality itself. For this reason they are always seeking out new experiences, and creativity is a beloved trait.

Of course, as the truest belief of its inhabitant’s hearts is the only reality in Revelation, the People of the Oasis live knowing that their faith will be rewarded. They have, through ritual and magic, communed with their past lives and do so whenever the knowledge of elder generations is needed. While it is taboo to mention it, there is a caveat. Those that perished in the migration, before belief in the cycle of rebirth was universal and strong, have not ever been contacted. Not once, among all attempts ever made.

It is a terrible loss, but one most are keen to forget. They would rather focus their thoughts on the future, whether that be a new crop, a larger home, or a great party. With long hours inside to fill the Ojir Amaun are a people accustomed to revelry. They celebrate life most every night, and every hundred turn of the Timeglass? They gather in the Hall of Celebration and commemorate the occasion for as long as they wish. If there is one thing Revelation has in true abundance, it is laughter.



Governance and Politics:
The Ojir Amaun, more commonly known as the People of the Oasis, lack a sophisticated form of hierarchal government. Rather, they engage in government by consensus. From the days when they numbered in the bare hundreds, to now when they are hundreds of thousands, the People of the Oasis have not centralized nor formalized their decision-making process. When there is a need for widespread agreement the people come together and craft it. In the past that might have meant every living soul coming together. Today? Government in the Oasis is conducted by families, villages, friends, and any other notable groups working out some opinion on whatever the issue of the day is. When they come to that they choose one among them, by consensus, to present that opinion to other designates. These appointed few gather at the center of the Oasis, at the Hall of Celebration, and come to a consensus of their own.

If that seems informal, convoluted, and prone to getting nothing done? Well, most of the Ojir Amaun prefer it that way. It is rare that serious difficulties trouble the Oasis, and when such things have happened in the past? They have always been resolved long before any edict could be proclaimed from the steps of the Hall. Beyond tolerated, such action is encouraged. If anything is taught universally among the People of the Oasis it is responsibility to the self, and responsibility the whole. Those men and woman among the Ojir Amaun who feel otherwise are always welcome to talk, but for most? When there’s a problem, you fix it. And if there isn’t one, why worry about it at all?

Technology and Magic:
Not one survivor of the migration knew more about magic that the fact of its existence. None attempted to revive it until it was a distant memory. Those who succeeded? They practiced what they knew, what old tales had taught them. Great rituals, absolute devotion, magic required above all else will, the commitment to change reality in as sure a way as true faith could.

Perhaps it was so on the Birthworld, perhaps not. What matters is that magic has returned to Revelation in the generations since its ‘demise’. Sorcerers and Sorceresses gather in houses of wisdom built by their parents and predecessors recording all magic that has ever worked and how it worked. They experiment without end, always hoping to either discover a ancient truth or will a ritual into existence purely on the power their belief and the strength of their argument in convincing their peers.

The magic of Revelation is, consequently, wildly varied, massively complicated, and usually conducted in the least subtle way possible. Of course, that is not to say it is weak. Faith is a great thing, and faith in magic? That was ironclad among even the first unfortunate migrants. Now it is a truth as certain as the bright future all Ojir Amaun pursue.

Military Overview:
None

DUNMAR DOMINION



Government Form:

Dunmar is ruled by an Emperor who’s dynasty has lasted for thousands of generations, even before the time of the calamity. The current ruler is Ulrik Longbeard. He has a number of retainers and advisers that are heads of their own dwarven clans who in their own right have followed the Longbeards for as long as they remember.

Demographics:
The Dominion is mostly made up of Dwarves and enslaved goblins.

Population:
They are an empire of Dwarves that number around 2.5 million in population. Disincluding enslaved goblins.

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Plane Description:

The planes of Ruhk are mountainous, harsh, and desolate. However, for the people of Dunmar it was home. The underground biomes of glowing forests, rivers, and rich soils. This was however, also home to their enemy who had followed them through the rift - the Goblin menace. For hundreds of years, the brutal back and forth between the savage goblin tribes and the armies of Dunmar have continued above the surface and deep underground.

History:



The Dunmar made the most of Ruhk, however their way of life has not changed. They stubbornly retained their way of life and adapted it to this harsh environment. The only thing that has changed is the number of dwarves and which Longbeard sits upon the imperial throne.

First was the establishment of Scibriz, the capital of Dunmar. Then was the expansion of their territories and the establishment of thirty more settlements. There were no natives to this land and if there were, they were long gone.

It was only when they met their Goblin foes again did they experience troubles. The long wars with their green foe had pushed them to become more militaristic. Their brutal purges against their goblin settlements have been the mark of every settlement after the first thirty. They still continue to this day to fight for territory, for resources, and for survival. Indeed - Dunmar has learned to live with less and turn it into more.

Culture and Society:



Dunmar culture hasn’t quite changed. They still hold large festivals that worship their gods of fortune, innovation, and war. They also are surprisingly unbiased in terms of gender roles. They have a saying, “If you can do it, no one can say you can’t.” From this it is clear that they value strength and integrity.

There are many dwarven clans, some very highly renowned, some less so. A number of these clans are favored by the Emperor and serve as the overall governors of Dunmar’s expansive territories. Clan Strongarm, clan Ironhand, and clan Swordsworn are three of the Emperor’s most successful clans. There are plenty more. Each clan has their own doctrines and ways of life. Clan Ironhand for example usually have the best equipped fighters, they pride themselves on their craftsmanship. Clan Strongarm have some of the best slingers, capable of throwing heavy lead shot so strong as to dent or peirce heavy steel plate at range. Clan Swordsworn claim to have the best fighters in the dominion. There are plenty of other clans like clan Hammerfist, clan Earthensong, clan Firebeard, clan Greatmane, and many more. These clans all come together and share their knowledge and expertise to make Dunmar as a whole united as one people.

Dunmar has a martial tradition in which even the young must learn how to fight. Often as one would walk through a Dunmarii street, one would see a child learning how to fight on one occasion and another learning how to craft and cook on the next.

Despite their martial nature they still have artisan virtues towards their stonework and steelcrafts. This is reflected in their architecture and the meticulous designs that they put on their weapons and armor. They also take very careful attention to their appearances, often grooming their beards or braiding their hair. Their clothes are simple and practical, pouring more time and effort not in their tapestries, but rather their utensils, their plates, their pots and pans. Only the more wealthy clans care about such things.

Aside from this, there is something new they developed as part of their society and culture. They have made mounts of the very common mountain lizard they call grumak. These are large, feisty lizards the size of three adult human men. They take their eggs and train them from a young age as brutal warmounts that they ride into battle. The ones they could not tame they hunt for sport. Grumak riding has become a staple of the Ruhk plane. They can ride long distances, assist dwarves on the hunt, and are excellent beasts of burden. However, their meat isn’t exactly the best of quality. It’s gamy, tough, and hard to chew through. Other animals of Ruhk are better farm animals than the Grumak. Nevertheless, grumaks have become a part of Dunmarii culture and, like most Dunmarii traditions, that is unlikely to change in the near future.

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Governance and Politics:



The Dumar dominion is expansive. The emperor alone cannot realistically keep his empire together. He allows some control over his chosen retainers who are given their own lands to govern and become great clan leaders. Clan Longbeard, clan Ironhand, clan Strongarm, and many more. They are given some autonomy, but are ultimately subject to the Emperor’s will - Ulrick Longbeard.

When there are several clan leaders in one place, authority will usually default to the region's governing clan. If it cannot be resolved this way, they will default to the eldest, and if not in that way it will default to the one with the most strength. An arm wrestling match is usually how one would settle such a thing. Less commonly it could also be settled by who could hold their drink better, it's more common in times of peace or during less urgent matters. However, if the Emperor is present, he is the one with the final say, he is the one in command, all other clans respect this arrangement.

If the Longbeards should fall, the clans with claims to the throne are clan Strongarm and clan Ironhand. Clan Swordsworn are named such as they swore an oath to follow the emperor's will, therefore they cannot lay claim on the imperial throne unless the emperor himself wills it so. Other clans may have a claim to the throne, however, they recognize the strongest claims lie on either Strongarm or Ironhand.

Technology and Magic:

The Dunmar used to be miners, engineers, and most of all professional soldiers. Before the great cataclysm the dwarven kingdoms that made up Dunmar united in order to fight the goblin hordes that came to raid them in large numbers. A great campaign was headed by the first great Longbeard who led several successful crusades against the green scourge.

To do this, Dunmar developed their siege equipment, their weapons, their armor. They’ve even developed a way of fighting using earthen magic to create walls and fortifications. They call it the crawling offensive. It takes a considerable amount of energy to push and sustain these walls as they approach their enemies. They then use this earthen magic to create ramps or bust holes into their enemies' fortifications. In close range engagements, their above average strength and excellent equipment usually outmatch most opponents.

The Goblins however counter this with alchemical concoctions, simple fire spells, and overwhelming numbers. This is why the war against their green foe has never been resolved.

Military Overview:



As they are always at war with their goblin foe, they have several large regional armies. Some of these regional armies are mostly comprised of that region’s clansmen. They all have their own orders of battle, but they all do so in the name of the Emperor and to fulfill their vow of exterminating the goblin scourge.

Their usual order of battle is to use a main body of heavy infantry and pikemen that will make up the middle. The flanks will be watched by grumak riders. In front of the main body will be the light infantry that will skirmish with crossbows and slings. This is their standard formation. The skirmishers will initiate as the main body marches forward. In the chaos the grumak riders with their sturdy mounts will tear apart the enemy formation from the flanks. The main body will then break off into smaller sections led by a dwarven captains to exploit the gaps created by the skirmishers and the grumak riders. Sections of grumak riders will break off to finish off any routing enemies.

The dwarven doctrine is to apply steady pressure and exploit the mistakes the enemy makes under this pressure. Most dwarven regiments are stubborn enough to fight towards near annihilation. This tendency to fight till they die is ingrained into dwarven culture - "Those who run from battle are bloody cowards and a disgrace to their bearded clansmen!". However, this steady formation has been beaten by their goblin foe by simply throwing more numbers and using more chaotic tactics to break apart the well coordinated dwarven lines. Goblins have also learned to kill high ranking dwarven leaders in order to further cast the dwarven ranks into disarray. This has made it so that Dunmar now has a complex order of ranks from highest to lowest so that even when a leader is killed, dwarven ranks will remain in tight order.

Dunmar has experienced war. Most citizens know how to fight from an early age because of the constant threat of large goblin raids. The goblins that they fight multiply faster than they can kill them and so they must continue to train each generation from a young age so that they can fight even when their armies fall. It is better to fight and take a few of the inbred scum with you rather than surrender and die a tortured death.

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Additional Info:

(I would put a theme song here but none of them feel genocidal and dwarven at the same time)

Nation Name: Byzantium


Government Form: Loose Monarchy

Demographics: Humans, Elves and elf/human hybrids

Population: 6 Million

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Plane Description:

After the cataclysm, the people of Byzantium arrived in the plane of Calth, a lush and deadly jungle world. Calth’s exterior beauty is misleading however as the jungle below is full of predatory beasts and plants. Both the jungle canopy and the floor below is dominated by a multitude of predators, who are adept at hunting and surviving in the jungle. Carnivorous flora is also abundant amongst the canopy and jungle floor. These plants have evolved over generations to hunt the same predators that walk and fly above the jungle.

Huge lumbering bipedal beasts slowly stalked between the trees walking on all fours. These animals were walking tanks whose skin feels like rock. The Ungoro, as the people called it hunts by chasing its prey down and beating it to death before eating its broken corpse. Other beasts, like the “ Saahgento Muurl” in the common tongue are ambush hunters. They walk amongst the branches and stumps, camouflaging their shimmering skin as they move from tree to tree.

The beasts of Calth are only matched by the horrid plants that live on this plane. Some are hunters of opportunity and stealth, like the coffin leaf or “ Collogur riga”, which waits for its prey to rest on its outstretched leaves on the jungle floor. The walls of the leaves then start to emit a slimy mucus before starting to curve around its prey, making it more difficult to escape. After prey is cocooned, the interior of the plant swells the lock the prey in place as it secrets a very corrosive acid to eat its prey live.

The Byzantines were lucky enough to bring a large number of beasts of burden with them. Horses, cows and over livestock thrive in Calth, but are also easy prey for the predators of Calth.

These are simply the apex predators in an entire ecosystem of deadly predators and flora, nothing in Calth is truly harmless and some species have not been seen or documented before.

History:
The people of Byzantium were not prepared for the cataclysm or the pain and destruction it would ultimately cause them. After fleeing to the plane of Calth, the misfortune was compounded as the peaceful nature of Byzantines was met with the harsh reality of unforgiving survival.

Before the cataclysm, the people of Byzantium were dominated by magic, and used it to fulfil all needs. Work was abolished and the society became a collection of magical artisans and entertainers. Growing comfortable with their new way of life a decree was made that no destructive magic would be taught or practiced inside Byzantium. This was first met with skepticism but was then embraced as new forms of magic were researched and more needs were being met strictly by magical means alone. The Byzantine over generations became staunch pacifists, and stayed out of conflicts, preferring the power of economy and diplomacy.

The Cataclysm destroyed Byzantine society and their great magical cities. Forcing the population of artisans, entertainers and diplomats into the unknown gateway to flee the death and destruction of their realm. Upon arriving on Calth, the people were relieved for a moment, only to realize the horror of the jungle. At first only a few people would go missing, vagrants, children and the elderly. As the society grew in size and area, workers and hunting parties started coming face to face with the monsters of the jungle. Large swaths of workers, hunters and civilians began going missing and the predators of Calth began hunting during the day in the middle of population centers. Beasts would sneak, or fly into villages and drag 10 to 20 villagers back to their deaths at a time. Entire cities were destroyed and reclaimed by the jungle.

The Byzantines were not accustomed to this new violent life and were being exterminated by the jungle. Society was broken, the once proud, magic wielding people of Byzantium now lived in fear, huddled in caves and under crude jungle shelters. They were helpless, to what was happening to them, unable or rather unwilling to defend their lives. A breaking point was ultimately met and the highly magical byzantines used their skills for defense. At first, it was just rudimentary destructive magic, but this quickly spiralled into more complex and more destructive magics. The artisans, entertainers and diplomats of Byzantium, became ambush hunters, brutish sorcerers and ruthless strategist amongst the beasts of Calth. Over generations, society was rebuilt and grown around these new principles, magic was still the focal point of Byzantine society. Formerly, this magical skills was focused on improving the quality of life, entertaining and magical goods. The harsh reality of Calth, changed this focus towards, death, destruction and warfare.

The Byzantines have rebuilt their society in a new light, unrecognizable from the former empire. Magical artisans still exist, but they no longer make instruments and architectural works, the artisans of Byzantium are expert weapon smiths and enchanters. Diplomats and entertainers have become patient and cunning hunters, feared by the beasts they hunt. Others have become shrewd but efficient strategists, culling the population of jungle beasts at alarming levels, fighting the jungle as if it was an invading army. The cities, once adorned with golden spires and colorful alleys, have been replaced by grey drab stone structures, heavily reclaimed and camouflaged with moss, shrubs and others jungle flora. The citizens prefer to walk around armed and armored. Grey and green tunics made of a light material keep them cool against the oppressive heat of Calth. The new Byzantines were cut by their environment and forged in the adversity of survival.

Culture and Society:

Byzantines are a laconic people, who are comfortable in their isolation or neutrality. Many would describe a Byzantine as brooding and quiet, both would be accurate without knowing Byzantine culture. To the outside, Byzantines seems cold, calculating, and quiet, however this is just a suspicious reflex upon seeing something new that isn’t trying to kill them. Seeing death on a near daily basis has made them resistant to making new connections quickly. This does not mean they are hostile to outsiders, simply apathetic to those passing by.

Trusting another citizen or person is the biggest complement and sign of friendship a Byzantine can give another person. When the very environment you live in is trying to kill you at all times, you need to be hypervigilant all the time. Removing weapons, drinking, sleeping and general revelry are all signs of trust that are hard earned by outsiders. This coldness extends to other Byzantines from other villages or cities as well, as Byzantines are very clannish by nature.

Large swaths of public infrastructure were needed to ensure safe trading and travel between villages and cities. Large stone roads have been, and continue to be, built. These roads are constantly patrolled and guard posts are equally spaced along the routes. Travel by private citizens is still rare however, due to the danger of traveling even on the patrolled roads.

Magical attunement amongst Byzantines is high, most Byzantines have some level of magical basic skill ( ie. Boiling water with magical fire, using magic to sharpen your sword for you), but large amounts of training and education is required to safely use more complicated and destructive spells and enchantments. There are only a handful of truly powerful sorcerers in the Byzantium capable of vastly devastating spells. Most daily tasks, cooking, cleaning, writing, etc are still completed by magic so autonomous brooms and scrolls with quills are common.

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Governance and Politics:
Byzantium is a loose monarchy; the king holds power over all cities and villages in Calth but does not exercise absolute rule. Due to the difficult nature of force projection in Calth, management of villages and cities is largely left up to local leaders and the villagers themselves. Taxes are collected and pleas for help are answered but the cities are largely autonomous.

Technology and Magic:

Byzantium is neutral warlike state that specializes in destruction magic and enchantments. Most magical studies, records, tomes and schools are based around destruction magic. Minor tasks, cleaning, heating water, writing, etc are done via magic. Things like water purification, medicine, architecture, etc are done via simple machines and tech.

Some of the best schools ( So far in this RP) for destruction magic are based in Calth
Weapons artisans and enchanters can enchant weapons and armor at any forge. Only Byzaantine weapon and armor smiths have access to and can make specialized forges that allow for specialized Byzantine enchantments to be made ( At least special for this point of the RP). These specialized enchantments allow spells to be channeled and sometimes amplified through weapons and armor. Armor may have been a barrier for magical energy before but, with specialized Byzatine enchantments, the armor or weapon can act as a conduit to channel magical energy through.

Other disciplines of magic do exist at a basic or intermediate level within Byzantium. For example, hunters use basic illusion magic to bend or stretch shadows as they stalk prey. The study of these magic disciplines are at a very basic level however.

Military Overview:

Byzantium has more of a town guard/ police force than a formal military. Large amounts of people are required to patrol the roads and villages for deadly predators, but these are rarely offensive forces. The common road/village/city guard has a brass cuirass with his shins covered with a similar brass greaves. The tunic or tunic and pants are worn under the armor. Usually road guards carry a 12ft sarissa, sharpened at either end for utility. En masse, these pikes are good at driving away charging beasts and safely cornering them. When broken, or shorter range is required, a gladius is always ready at the hip. The 8ft spear is another common weapon for city guards, were a shorter spear is needed for cramped city streets. The aspis is the main issues shield for city guards, while road patrol guards commonly carry small bucklers on their forearms to carry the sarissa with both hands

Fixed emplacement weapons or siege craft is rare, except for whats called a “spread scorpion”. A torsion machine that shoots canisters of 10-20 bolts in a shotgun like spread in front of the machine. Mainly used in city walls and guard post defense, these machines can be picked up and set up for use in other places.
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Additional Info:

- The Byzantines are to busy fighting the beasts of their plane to wage offensive war elsewhere.
( More will come as this Nation develops)

Official Name: Nilunbergseidgenossenschaft
Alternate Names: Nilberg Confederation, Nilberg, Zeignobund
Government Type: Confederation
Governing Body: Tagsatzung (Federal Diet)
Capital: Rhone City, Drachenfel Canton
Population: ~850,000
Dominant Species: Zeignons (goattaurs, ~95%)

The Nilberg Confederation is a relatively young nation formed in the mountainous lands of Nilberg. It involves 19 Cantons, effectively an autonomous city state each. They have the misfortune to neighbor some of the largest empires on the continent yet they staunchly maintain their independence. Nilberg is a region of fine craftsmen yet after gaining their independence they became better known for something else, mercenaries. Nilbergian sellswords were becoming a common sight across the continent and this somehow became the nation's main export.

Much of the world is yet to be discovered but Nilbergians are very familiar with the continent of Ardonai. The region's climate changes depending on how far North you travel or whether you're seaside or inland. Compared to Earth there are many strange creatures, some of them with magical abilities. Monsters are powerful creatures which threaten civilization. They reside in the hidden and less visited corners of the lands but they can periodically emerge to terrorize villagers or cause other kinds of mayhem. Militia often fights them, some major monster incursions may even call for state armies to respond. Yet before that it's fairly common to ask one of the many adventuring mercenary groups to deal with them. Be it a tiny groups of elites or a company of seasoned soldiers these adventurers act as problem solvers to many issues, for a price of course!

Nilberg Region
Nilberg is a mountainous region in the temperate zone. The land is surrounded by tall snow-covered mountains while Central Nilberg is a plateu covered in beautiful greenery. Many describe Nilberg as almost picturesque and in the past it inspired many painters. The mountains help maintaining a comfortable climate all year. The recent surge of militarism also helped to deal with eons old nests of monsters which makes Nilberg seem almost idyllic. More than troubles within the country has issues with his neighbors. Nilberg is officially neutral which is further helped by said neighbors' constant dependence on Nilbergian mercenaries. Yet the fact remains that great empires eye Nilberg as a price, dreaming of making it their crown jewel once more. With the emergence of the Gate the situation would only get worse. Will the gate save them or destroy them?

Nilberg’s region is divided into 19 Cantons which are:
Drachenfel, Aulenbruck, Transestein, Hallefels, Bersewald, Rauchberg, Elsebach, Allenheim, Reseberg, Wallefeld, Frauenhofen, Beneberg, Kiosseland, Ackerhöhe, Kuching, Sandakan, Altena, Beligrod, Unterland

The Zeignons have multiple origin myths but the most popular one is the following. During the ancient times before history dragons of unspeakable might ruled this continent. Rasvimba (currently the western portion of Nilberg) used to be one of the numerous lands declared as their sanctuary. Once upon the time a group of adventurous dwarves from Clan Yngveth did not heed these warnings and began to exploit these mountains. They found tin, silver and gold and quickly made a fortune. A year passed and Clan Yngveth acquired wondrous riches yet their luck was about to run out. Unknown to them the dragons put a curse on them in vengeance, infecting the local goats with a magical disease. As a consequence dwarves who consumed this cursed meat had their offspring kill their mothers and become the first Zeignons, the goat-folk. By the time they realized it was already too late and the once prestigious Clan Yngveth died out completely. Being benevolent the dragons did not smite the goat-folk and instead gave them the task to protect these mountains. Built on the culture of the now extinct Clan Yngveth the Zeignons prospered in isolation. The nine mountain peaks of Rasvimba served as the region’s namesake, becoming known in the modern times as Nilberg.

For a long time the existence of Nilberg was only regarded as legend. Zeignon wandering merchants and scholars did travel the continent but nobody knew where they came from or what their dwelling place was actually like. Zeignons were akin to folk tale creatures, they showed up in a village to help the locals and then left. Their hermit-like existence came to an end when the Aechadian Empire invaded them. Unprepared for warfare the Nilbergians were swiftly conquered and subjugated by the rising titan. The next century saw brutal oppression, dispersion as slaves and other unspeakable deeds. Yet over time the Zeignons earned respect and Nilberos (Aechadian name for Nilberg) earned a small bit of autonomy. Aechadian only directly controlled a fraction of Nilberg with the rest only maintaining a vague vassal-like status. Yet thanks to the Aechadian prosperity the region of Nilberg underwent rapid development and soon became one of the more industrious places within the Empire.

About 120 years ago the Nilberg Rebellion broke out. Previously Aechadians made numerous measures to prevent the Zeignons taking arms and uniting but their efforts were washed away by a mysterious vision shared by all goattaurs. Seeing the visage of the All-Father in their dreams the Zeignon population as a whole rose up. Slaves escaped, auxiliaries deserted and the local authorities in Nilberos suddenly lost control. Of course the Aechadian Empire was undeterred by these events, confident to restore their rule. During this time the Zeignons were viewed as an inferior alternative to centaurs, poor cavalry chiefly used for scouting. The mighty legions of Aechadian were mobilized, ready to paint the towns of Nilberg red. Yet the seasoned soldiers met their match in the Sacred Band led by Töbe Eichenberg. Though outnumbered they used the mountainous terrain against their opponents, halting their advance dead. Meanwhile hordes of Zeignon deserters and townsfolk received expert drills, training them to become a fearsome army. After the fourth year of confrontation the two armies faced off against each other in the Battle of Mordsenke. There Töbe Eichenberg encircled his enemy and massacred five legions, leaving no survivors. This put an end to the war and Aechadian attempts to control Nilberg.

The first decades of Nilbergian independence were trying times as Aechadians refused to acknowledge them. Nilberg was overall considered a pariah state and Zeignons were viewed with suspicion. Yet instead of collapsing the confederacy of Nilbergians held up and even strengthened. Of course living in the mountains the region could not hold large populations and as thousands of Zeignon youth were left in poverty the intensity of Nilbergians wandering out only increased. With their fresh military traditions this resulted in the first mercenary bands. Nilbergian soldiers soon became a well sought after commodity between nations and while these troops are past their golden age they still enjoy a massive reputation.


Government:
Nilberg’s is a form of Eidgenossenschaft (oath pact alliance, loosely translated as confederation) between 19 Cantons with each representing an old clan of Zeignons within the region. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that rather than a single country the region of Nilberg is divided into 19 independent states. Each Canton has their own form of government, customs and local laws. Every month each Canton’s representatives, delegates (occasionally even the governors themselves) are set forth to the “capital” city of Rhone to participate in the Diet. During these gatherings the Diet holds discussions about current events, status of each Canton and holds votes on deciding the confederacy’s future. Overall thr Diet has fairly weak power compared to the cantons' autonomy.

Demographics:
Nilberg’s population consists almost entirely of Zeignons. The Nilbergians are rather reclusive within their homeland and aren’t too welcoming of foreigners. Most of the non-Zeignon population are kobolds with only tiny enclaves of humans living in Nilberg. This region is unforgiving with lots of mountains, varying climate and relatively little arable land. The locals chiefly subsit from animal herding while importing the rest. As such swarms of Nilbergians chose to leave their country behind and travel across the continent. Overall many thousands of Nilbergians are living outside their country. They can range from traveling scholars to merchants and more recently outright bands of mercenaries. Nilbergians and by extension the Zeignon race are well-known travelers.

Economics:
Nilberg is curiously enough rich and poor at the same time. They have rich cities with some of the continent's finest craftsmen yet overall the country is poor compared to their neighbors. Some may say that using empires as a measuring stick is wrong but given the subtle rivalries this isn't something to be avoided. In fact ever since Nilberg switched over to animal herding there are thousands who were left without work. This is where the ongoing mercenary business kicks in. Many youths are rounded up by mercenary groups who then journey across the continent looking for price and glory. Smaller groups might help villages to slay monsters while a more decently sized company is often reinforces a king's campaign forces at war. Cantons took control of organizing these mercenaries and now it's a significant portion of their revenue.

Technology:
Nilberg is an industrious region with many craftsmen. The region is especially renown for their clockmakers but most goods manufactured in the region are a cut above what their neighbors produce. Of course this is in part deliberate as Nilberg has no means to match the volume of major empires' ouput. But also because Nilbergian tradesmen often have traveled across the continent at least once. Some also point to the immensely high quality iron ore found within Nilberg's mountains. Springs in particular are made out of this ore. Nilbergian springsmiths and watchmakers know a remarkably lot about spring physics which are kept secret from the rest of the world.

Long story short, Nilberg is technologically advanced. Although their small country and dominance of smaller workshops over giant manufactories means they won't produce anything large. They have fair access to gunpowder but manufacturing giant cannons is beyond their ability. They use high quality steel arms and armor.


Magic:
Many of Nilberg's neighbors have massive religious structures and fostered spellcraft for centuries if not millennia. Nilberg never had anything as robust. Their faith is vaguely defined in their belief in the All-Father and respecting their ancestors. Most Zeignons then adopt a specific religion from somewhere else as their main faith. So Nilberg doesn't have strong magical traditions. Since the last century though they made some progress in this matter. Ancient runecraft and runesmithing is resurrected while foreign mages are invites to Nilbergian colleges. The neccessity also bore innovation and while Nilbergian magic is less powerful they embrace pragmaticism.

Nilbergians have a reputation of being fierce warriors. Compared to mightier races a mere goattaur may not seem threatening yet combined with their tactics and discipline the Nilbergian mercenaries are a force to be reckoned with. They are reputed for their discipline, aggression and overall morale. Of course this has more to do with their organized nature and growing martial culture than some kind of special training or other secret. Since they are goat-taurs they also have some unique strengths and weaknesses in war. They are natural cavalry yet they aren't so massive as their genetic siblings, the centaurs. They can fight in formation fairly effectively and have more strength than the average human. Yet they still suffer to fight in narrow spaces where they large flanks are easy to expose. Nilberg being a rather developed nation who are famed for their precise craftsmanship they often can afford high quality equipment and are one of the earliest adopters of gunpowder. That being said they don't have the great foundries of empires so their cannons tend to be on the smaller side in general. Think smart rather than large could very well be their motto. Their supply wagons double as improvised fortifications on the battlefield, a tactic inherited from the great Töbe Eichenberg. Depending on their canton the flags and symbols of the mercenary outfit can change. Certain famous units have their own flags, even. Yet alongside these they also brandish a yellow cross shaped symbol. This is the so-called Sacred Band, often mistaken for a religious sign. The united Nilberg flag also features said symbol in the center. The Sacred Band is the universal symbol of Nilbergian mercenaries but beyond that a proud display of their independence.

Plane Description: The Font - the plane inhabited by Illuminatus in the floating city of Astralus - is an immensely potent source of power for mages. Floating islands dot the skies, waterfalls literally infused with life falling from them from seemingly nonexistent sources, streaming down into the landscape below. Mountains walk, crushing stampeding herds of effervescent chimera beneath their towering bulk when they settle. Screeching bird-things knock their prey unconscious with bursts of sonic energy, only to be laid low themselves by spell-spitting serpents arcing through the clouds.

In other places, desolate plains of broken rock and magical radiation dominate the landscape, where even gravity seems to oscillate into inscrutable, nonsensical patterns. In yet more, roiling spirits of magma do battle with living waterspouts.

In essence, the Font is many things at once, but there is one constant: it is a place of wild extremes, fueled by magic and the extreme lengths to which life goes to survive in it.

What exactly made it this way is unknown to the mages of Astralus, and they are unsure they will ever know. It could be a world so devastated by a war between mages as to be uninhabitable, some natural focus point of arcane power shaped by the dreaming minds of mortals or the spellwork of Gaia's mages, or even simply a random occurrence with no cause at all.

What the mages of Astralus have done, however, is stabilize the realm around the rift, accommodating their mobile city. The enormous stone steps surrounding their rift, and the towering statues around it, are in reality a complicated network of arcane defenses designed to protect the city from incursions. Each statue is a dormant golem, each glowing lamp post an emitter of one spellwork or another, nearly plant a soldier ready to be animated by the organization's chloromancers. This is only true of the areas surrounding the rift, however, for even the mages of Astralus cannot fully control the Font, nor have they saught sapient natives of the realm for fear that doing so may cause their destruction.

History: Long ago, Astralus was nothing like it is today. Centuries in the past, even before the supposed death of Gaia, it was no country.

It was the domain of a cabal of powerful archmages, its people their slaves and pet projects, kept in their chains by spellwork, constructs, and an army of well-paid mercenaries that recaptured or killed anyone that escaped, nearly regardless of where they fled to. Overseers, the favoured collaborators of these mage-lords, directed the slaves, themselves accompanied by powerful magics and bodyguards of their own.

For eons, the people that would become Astralus suffered under the Yoke of the Mage-Lords. By the time of Gaia, freedom was a memory so distant many of its people had simply forgotten that it was a possibility in the first place, their perceptions so warped and twisted by their torment and the strict information control of the Mage-Lords.

When the death of Gaia came, the Mage-Lords took their slaves with them. Thousands upon thousands died in the transition, both due to the abuses of their masters and the chaotic nature of the Font. Magically-charged beasts devastated the slaves and the resources of their masters, slaughtering them en masse where the random portal storms around their entryway didn't, often swallowing up the unprepared or spitting out demons and devils.

The Mage-Lords pressed them forward, thought, until they found a site suitable for settlement - a massive, raised plateau upon which the less tolerable devastation was less common, outting their power magics to work and their hordes of slaves to hard labor to complete their great works. The loss of Gaia, they realized, may have been a blessing - with the raw power of the font at their disposal, was there anything they couldn't accomplish?

Great edifices, of course, were erected to their glory, as were powerful defenses, but the deaths continued. More slaves died. Overseers and lieutenants, increasingly difficult to replace, were picked off by the utter Chaos of the realm, which adamantly refused to bend to the will of the Mage-Lords despite all their efforts. No matter what they did, breaking the Font was utterly impossible, and in the face of their constant failures, dissent slowly began to grow, the facade of unstoppable oppression slowly but surely crumbling.

Few saw it, much less lived to tell of it, but if their supposedly perfect masters grew frustrated and angry at mere beasts, could they really be called perfect? If they tried, failed, tried, and failed again to put a stop to the portal storms that routinely say their most favoured servants destroyed or mutated beyond belief, could they really be called infallible, especially when they routinely threw childish tantrums in frustration at their continued failures?

Despite all the efforts of the magelords, it was impossible to completely crack down on the spread of rumours, especially when nearly everyone they were being hidden from bore witness. Dissent swelled as more and more people realized that their masters *could* be defied; that they chains might not be truly unbreakable, and there was little the Mage-Lords could do outside of slaughtering them all. Their own delusions, however, allowed them to believe that they were too perfect to fail, and so revolutionary sentiment continued to grow until it finally reached a breaking point.

Two hundred years ago, in an act of largely spontaneous defiance, the slaves rose up.

The precise trigger for the general uprising is hotly debated, but something all Astralan scholars agree on is that it spiraled out of control in a matter of days, news spreading quickly thanks to the use of telepathic messaging.

Thousands upon thousands were slaughtered by the masters in the death throes of their evil empire, but the sheer weight of the many overwhelmed them, with each of the mages cut off from their magic and beaten to death by the enraged mobs of the oppressed.

And then, suddenly, it was over. With the fallen masters dead, there was nothing and no-one to command their armies of constructs, and so the people of what would become Astralus set about building a new civilization from one starting principle: never again could such hierarchies of power as those that allowed them to be enslaved be allowed to exist within their nation. For this reason, Astralus has established a robust tradition of extensive education, ranging from the mundanity of politics to the arcane sciences, which it maintains to this day, and which was instrumental in its rapid rebuilding and construction of a large defensive force to protect against the wildlife and continuous portal storms where conflict with the nature of the font couldn’t be avoided. In general, though, in stark contrast to their masters, the people of free Astralus avoided disturbing the world around them wherever possible, going so far as to construct a floating city with their magics, flying high above the land below.

In the years since, Astralus has focused primarily on further developing its civil infrastructure, and maintaining its defenses, for fear that the Font might spawn something terrible they cannot harness, or, worse, that the portal to Gaia might open and greet them with something that destroys their new home.

Culture and Society: Despite the fact that it’s been completely isolated from contact with other civilizations for five centuries, Astralus maintains an extremely diverse culture, to the point that the largest demographic unit aside from Elves consists of citizens of mixed ancestry, in many cases including ancestries otherwise wouldn't be able to interbreed if not for the intervention of a society of largely skilled mages. Such inter-ancestral reproduction is widely accepted, and even intellectually encouraged in some causes. The culture of Astralus, in essence, is dominated by the belief that diversity is its greatest strength, in the same way that a mage who studies only one 'school' of magic will be left helpless by someone who understands his weaknesses without his comrades to back him up.

This attitude extends to nearly all facets of society, especially the intellectual, hence Astralus's both wide and deep understanding of many methods of practicing magic. Even in the home, Astralus is diverse, with family dynamics ranging from the highly traditional to the unusually diverse, and societal roles being constantly shifting, never static things. Citizens are allowed and encouraged to develop themselves in a wide variety of different ways, with few restrictions outside of proscription of violence among citizens. Typical ideas of tradition and gender roles, even, have practically vanished from the wider zeitgeist, and while their magic is used to construct civilization, schooling emphasizes striving to work with the world around them rather than aggressively imposing their will upon a reality that fights back.

There are disagreements, however, but they rarely come to blows, and the relatively fresh memories of brutal civil violence among mages - and the tyranny of an unchecked state - keep them relatively in check, not to mention thew extremely high levels of education in the population.



Governance and Politics: Astralus’s government, if it can even be called that, is extremely limited, built on the principle of providing a platform for Astralus’s people to express their concerts and aid each other. There is no monarch, or even a leader to speak of - only an assembly where people meet to discuss the ever-changing needs of the vast city’s people.

Occasionally, however, people are chosen, usually by vote, to direct research in various fields. Theoretically, the same could be done to represent them in foreign affairs, but such an eventuality has yet to occur.

Technology and Magic:
As one might expect for a nation of scholars and mages, Astralus's understanding of both magic and technology are highly advanced, even if their population is too small to deploy either on an enormous scale. Most every facet of life is dominated by either, or often a combination of the two - stoved are 'fueled' by sentient flames that draw upon the natural magical energy around them, airships are held aloft by arcane engines and conjured air currents, and transport across the city is frequently accomplished by runed teleportation magic rather than actual movement between two points. Even the grand city itself is sometimes carried into the sky by massive networks of telekinesis runes, shielded by translucent, one-way walls of energetic magic, flying golems, and arrays of spell-cannons.

This is not to say that their understanding of either field is complete, nor even 'better' than every other possible civilization. Each technology is geared toward one specific purpose, after all: the flourishing of the city, and nothing more. If nothing else, Astralus completely lacks the will or knowhow to sustain a continent-spanning empire.

Perhaps their most valuable knowledge, however, at least to their survival, is their experience in directing and working with the flows of magic rather than dominating them entirely. In a duel between spellcasters, after all, few skills are more valuable than the ones which allow you to unwind a foe's spells like thread or potentially even consume their magic like a hearty meal and repurpose it for your own use.

Military Overview: Although its standing army is relatively small, even tiny, simply due to the difficulty Astralus has in producing new soldiers, it is capable of otherwise wondrous feats of shock and awe due to the outsized number of mages protecting the city. In terms of offensive capability, they are best suited to ambush and surgical strike (thanks to the fact that a large number of their sentient officers are essentially highly mobile artillery pieces) in which their ability to teleport whole units into advantageous positions and their potential for rapid destruction can be best utilized, or in advisory roles to states with the material might to mobilize a truly large army. The voluntary nature of its 'military', likewise, promotes battlefield innovation, and lacks the ability to conduct extended campaigns, even if they did have the manpower and logistical support for it.

Perhaps their most valuable tool, however, is their ability to use spells to turn the environment against the enemy and cripple their logistics, whether it involves spoiling large stocks of food or conjuring powerful storms.

Golems make up most of the 'infantry', also, usually led by highly capable battlemages serving in a similar role to officers, elected by their comrades rather than in the traditional manners of promotion and aristocratic titles.