[b]Nation Name:[/b] Lothmor [b]Races of the Nation:[/b] Skaven Night Goblins Wild Elves Forest Dwarves Draconians Murioanthropes Forest Giants [hider=Lothmor History][b]Nation History:[/b] Before Lothmor became a nation, it was simply a forest called home by a variety of races that were more prone to interacting by raiding than by trading. Things changed many generations ago (422 years ago, according to those who were alive to see it happen) when an ambitious Skaven mage by the name of Tek Foulclaw came into power over the Skaven tribes. He solidified his rule by ruthlessly slaughtering any who might oppose him from his own race, then turned outward to conquer the others of the land. The Murioanthropes were absorbed willingly enough, for their numbers had long been decimated by battles past. The Night Goblins of the deep forests, with their terrifying Giant Spiders, put up a fight but were ultimately defeated and absorbed into the growing unification efforts of Emperor Foulclaw, as he styled himself thereafter. The Draconians who had settled in the mountainous region were under threat of extinction by angered Forest Giants; fighting off the giants at the cost of many men earned both their respect and eventual allegiance, and the gratitude and allegiance of the Draconians. The Wild Elves and Forest Dwarves who had settled on the coast and in the nearby forests were the last to fall, and they made a proper war of it that lasted nearly a decade. Emperor Tek Foulclaw died of old age a few years later, in the recently founded capital city he had named Tekis after himself, and his successors were left the task of keeping a very disparate nation together as a unified whole. Years passed and their efforts to integrate the various groups into a shared culture largely succeeded. Ruthless executions dealt with criminals and revolutionaries, public baths and the passing of generations in close proximity lessened racial tensions, and if all else failed the Skaven mages were more than willing to put down troublemakers with great prejudice. The combination of knowledge from these races coming together led to a growth in skill amongst mages, fighters, and craftsmen alike. Lothmor, the name that finally stuck for the fledgling nation, was in a prime location for trade, or more accurately for trade passing through: the river passing through their territory was the quickest and safest route from the seas to wealthier nations farther inland, and so the people of Lothmor (particularly those in the coastal city of Visiloth that acted a trade port and rest stop for those intending to take their trade down the river) experienced something of a second-hand economic growth; the Lothmori merchants came into their own soon enough by being unscrupulous enough to sell anything other than other sentient beings, which made Visiloth much loved by sailors. With the quick worldly growth of the nation, and the apparent lack of other nations being interested in their territory, the Lothmor military forces transitioned into becoming more of a mercenary company than an army. Their skilled archers and cavalry (initially made up solely of Night Goblins and Skaven riding Giant Spiders) soon became a rather highly regarded force on the battlefields of other nations, for their skill and training tended to make up for the small size of the races that made up the bulk of the army. The passage of years saw many additions to the military might of Lothmor, including the creation of a respectable navy (including numerous Dragon Turtles), the advent of horse archers courtesy of the Wild Elves, a few Forest Giants wielding massive battleaxes and joining the ranks, Wyverns bred by the Draconians being implemented for battle, and the introduction of Hyrdas (with archer platforms manned with skilled Skaven bowmen) into the forces of Lothmor. The current leader of the mercenary military is a Draconian named Orix, known as The Cleaver for his skill with a battleaxe, earned his position through blood and sweat, nominated a decade ago by the acclimation of his fellow generals when his predecessor died in battle. Tekis, the capital city, now boasts three institutes of education (one for agriculture, a tradesmen academy predominately focused on woodworking, and a center for magical learning). Magic grew from a rare talent to the point that modern Skaven leaders are those most skilled with magic, with Arch-mage Skarx Foulclaw (an indirect descendant of Tek) sitting as the current uncontested ruler of Lothmor. These growing magical talents were used in ingenious ways with the crafting skills of woodworkers to create functional wooden armor and weaponry that became the hallmark of the military: rather than being clunky and unwieldy pieces of nearly useless garbage, the armor is just as pliable and protective as leather armor and the weapons (almost exclusively axes) as strong and sharp as low-grade steel; armor given the attention of an Arch-mage's power come out as light and pliable as leather armor but with the protective qualities of steel plate, and the weapons come out equal to high quality steel, but these are rather rare as Arch-mages tend to have better things to do than spend a whole day working their magic on equipment for soldiers. In the sociopolitical realm of Lothmor's recent history, the Wild Elves and Forest Dwarves have set aside their inherent racial differences such that the dwarves are now accepted as equals by the elves and follow the leadership of Anca Cillois, a Wild Elf who has been alive since before the founding of the nation and is second in political power only to Arch-mage Skarx Foulclaw. The Forest Giants look to one of their own for leadership: Oaksmasher, a giant who many years ago helped to fight off Hydras that were encroaching on Lothmor land (and for this became known as a hero of the realm), then later aided the brilliant minds of the little races of the nation who thought to tame some (as much as a Hydra can be tamed, at least) and use them for battle. The various leaders of the races of Lothmor have inspired the loyalty of their people, and civil unrest is rather low... aside from the Cult of Light that has sprung up in recent decades, claiming the Skaven, Murioanthropes, and Night Goblins are inherently evil creatures that must be eradicated, and that their mages using shadow magic is proof of that. This minor detail aside, things have been rather good for Lothmor lately: no serious monster or beast problems, no plague, no natural disasters, and no wars (at least none where Lothmor is anything more than a mercenary presence). The general hope among the populace is that this good luck will continue, but of course everything could change in a heartbeat.[/hider] [hider=Important People of Lothmor][b]Important Characters:[/b] [url=http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/329/1/6/skaven_by_warlordwardog-d4hbbki.jpg]Arch-mage Skarx Foulclaw[/url] - Though he goes by the title of Arch-mage rather than King, Skarx Foulclaw is the uncontested ruler of Lothmor. He is a hairless Skaven (a rare deformity that is pitied but not truly harmful in any way) that claims lineage to the founder of the nation, though it is his magical prowess rather than his bloodline that earned him his position. Skarx is dearly loved by the Skaven, Murioanthropes, and Night Goblins of his realm, and the people of the other races range from feeling the same to at the very least respecting him and fearing his power. Part of this mix of emotions toward the leader of Lothmor comes from the fact that, while he is their king in all but name, he is also an active member of the country's sellsword military, standing as equal in rank to the Lord General but deferring the actual military leadership duties to him most of the time. Skarx is often accompanied both on and off the battlefield by his fellow mages who are an assortment of companions and advisors: the Skaven Moz Earthwhisker and the Murioanthrope Skinripple who are both skilled in water, earth and nature magic, and the Night Goblin Draz Darkrant and the Skaven known as Dreadfang the Shadowbinder who both practice the magics of water, earth, and shadow. [url=http://th00.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2011/160/d/0/rimas_the_dragonborn_by_fushark-d3iiidf.png]Lord General Orix the Cleaver[/url] - Orix was given the name 'Cleaver' for his bloody work with a battleaxe; he was made the Lord General for that plus his military acumen. He is one of the select few to wear wooden armor and wield a wooden battleaxe worked upon by an Arch-mage, these two done by Skarx Foulclaw himself, and he uses them to grand effect on the battlefield. The forces of the Lothmor sellsword army follow him mainly out of respect and loyalty, for he is a hard and humorless warrior that does not inspire the love of the masses, though few of them are foolish enough to lack fear of his abilities. [url=http://th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2011/049/4/4/dwarf_by_markusthebarbarian-d39t57u.jpg]General Hirol Elfheart[/url] - General Hirol Elfheart (a highly honorable Forest Dwarf surname that would be used as an insult among other dwarven cultures) is the second in command of the Lothmori military. He hews closer to traditional dwarven behaviors than most of his kind, who tend to emulate elves and even shave their beards, but the same can be said of most dwarves who have joined Lothmor's sellsword army. Hirol is a skilled warrior and lacks the level of tactical and strategic skill one would expect of a general, but he's charismatic and friendly enough that even if his orders were blatantly suicidally stupid he could probably convince most of his soldiers to follow them anyway. If the soldiers at large make up the body of the army, and Orix the Cleaver is the mind of it, then Hirol Elfheart is the heart. [url=http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/KeeperofKookus.jpg]General Zarex Giantbiter[/url] - Every army needs a little bit of insanity, and this role is fulfilled by the devious Night Goblin named Zarex Giantbiter; most surnames of the smaller races of Lothmor are handed down from generations past, but Zarex earned his by actually attacking a Forest Giant with nothing but his hands and teeth and he managed not only to wound (well, scratch) the giant, he also lived to tell the tale.. and repeat it a couple years later, the crazy little bastard. Zarex is the mind behind the more daring tactics of the Lothmori mercenary military (he was the mind behind mounting archers on the backs of the Hydras, for instance), the risky and desperate moves that Lord General Orix's sound strategic mind would never normally conceive of. Nobody is ever really comfortable with the unhinged little goblin roaming about, but they figure better to have him on their side than working against them, so they tolerate his eccentricities. [url=http://th00.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/086/4/e/skaven_packmaster_by_faxtar-d3cm1c8.jpg]Captain Gex the Audacious[/url] - Zarex Giantbiter was the one to conceive of putting men (well, Skaven) on the backs of the military's Hydras, but it never would have truly happened without a truly brave (and perhaps slightly insane) soldier to step forward and volunteer for the possibly fatal task. Gex was the first Skaven to do so, a highly skilled archer who rose through the ranks rather quickly. His daring choice to test out the Giantbiter's mad plans eventually earned him the rank of Captain, specifically the Hydra Rider Captain, in charge of both the Hydra jockeys and archers in the howdahs mounted on the backs of the Hydras. [url=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/126/9/c/giant_by_saryth-d4yoyr1.jpg]Oaksmasher, Hero of the Realm[/url] - Oaksmasher was yet another integral part of the creation of the Hydra Riders, though his contribution came much earlier in the process. Decades ago he led the fight against Hydras that were migrating into Lothmor and tearing the place up, as Hydras are known to do with pretty much everywhere they go. His fighting prowess grew and he became known as a great hero of Lothmor, celebrated by all peoples of the nation. Later on, devious little Skaven, Night Goblins, and Murioanthropes who conceived of harnessing the powers of the Hydras for military use; they came to Oaksmasher to ask for the help of him and his people to capture and train the beasts, and the idea amused him enough that he decided to give them the requested aid. Since then, he has simply been a terror on the battlefield, leading his few fellows of military inclinations on a path of unholy slaughter through the armies of nations who were foolish enough to let their enemies buy the Lothmori military's contract. Oaksmasher is the proud wielder of the only giant-sized Arch-mage worked wooden weapon, the creation of which was so horridly exhausting for the previous Arch-mage leader of the Lothmor that he ended up dying from a common illness a week later, thus elevating Skarx Foulclaw to the position. [url=http://www.wizards.com/mtg/images/daily/stf/stf41_nissa.jpg]Anca Cillois[/url] - Anca Cillois is a Wild Elf who has long been the leader of the her race in Lothmor, and more recently became the accepted leader of the Forest Dwarves as well. Her claim to rule (as informal as that rule is) stems from the fact that she lived through the unification of Lothmor, through the decade long war that saw the Elves and Dwarves kneeling before the Skaven and their allies; Anca was in fact one of the main proponents for surrender rather than fighting to the last man. She is very pragmatic and nearly a pacifist, a kind-hearted woman who had a heavy hand in helping Lothmor remain a unified nation after Emperor Tek Foulclaw's death. Her own people adore her, the Forest Dwarves treat her as a queen, the Skaven view her almost as a goddess for the simple fact that she spoke to the great Tek who forged Lothmor through power and force of will, and the others races tend to view her very positively as well. If not for the fact that she greatly dislikes the idea of fighting and has no interest in becoming the ruler of the nation, Anca Cillois could very easily rally the people to overthrow Skarx Foulclaw. Despite her lack of interest in leadership, she has been pressed into becoming the mayor of sorts (which she tries her best yet fails to turn into a purely figurehead position, due to her people demanding that she truly lead them in some fashion) for the city of Visiloth, the coastal trade port that was long ago a tiny city that only the Wild Elves and Forest Dwarves called home, and so she holds great political sway in the nation against her wishes.[/hider] [hider=Traits][b]Traits:[/b] [b]National Traits:[/b] (3) Nature's Ally Natural Architecture Sellswords [b]Population Traits:[/b] (6) Loyal Brave Foresting Instincts Game Trails Public Baths Live off of the Lands [b]Academic Traits:[/b] (6) Medicine Academy of Power Agricultural Institute Tradesmen Academy Super Herbalists Natural Cultivation [b]Military Basic Traits:[/b] (2) Ambush Predators Nightmares in the Trees [b]Archery Traits:[/b] (7) Block out the Sun Monster-Hunters Witch-Hunters Apple Shots Archery Range Perfect Fletching Composite Bows [b]Infantry Traits:[/b] (1) Lords of the Axe [b]Cavalry Traits:[/b] (6) Self-Sufficient Cantabrian Circle Masterful Cavalry Monster Cavalry Cavalry Concourse Beast Cavalry [b]Navy Traits:[/b] (4) By the winds Windriders Dragon Turtle [b]Airborne Traits:[/b] (3) Control the Skies Wyvern Mageflight [b]Tradesman Traits:[/b] (5) Farmhands Master Carpenters Trackers Industrious Bang for your Buck [b]Merchant Traits:[/b] (6) Silk Roads Exotic Trade Goods Underground Markets The Black Market Trade Tongues We got what you need! [b]Magecraft Traits:[/b] (5) Elemental Waters Elemental Earths Element of Shadow Nature Magic Arch-Spellcaster [b]Monster Traits:[/b] (6) Hydra Monsterium Beast Armour Chariot & Saddles Breed them for Strength [b]Mechanist Traits:[/b] (0) [b]Flaws:[/b] Cult of Light Sellswords[/hider] [hider=Custom Traits][b]Custom Traits[/b] Woodsmithing - Woodworkers in Lothmor are among the most skilled in the world, and what truly sets them apart from the rest is their unorthodox crafts. Through minor uses of earth, water, and nature magics, Lothmori woodworkers have discovered a way to make armor and weaponry out of wood that are not simply hunks of wood carved into the desired shape. The majority of these creations are equivalent to simple leather armor and unimpressive grades of steel, equal in all facets of weight, flexibility, and strength to those standard materials. A very limited selection (limited due to the necessity of an arch-mage being there to work the magic for the crafting) of higher quality wooden armor exists that retains the lightness and flexibility of light leather armor but grants similar protection as heavy steel; weapons of this same caliber exist that are equal to the finest grades of steel. These rare pieces of equipment are held exclusively by commanders of the Lothmori army and leaders of the various races of the land. Beasts of the Forest - The horses, Giant Spiders, and Hydras of the Lothmori military forces were bred and trained in the forests of the nation. As such, they have greatly increased maneuverability over creatures trained in the open spaces that make up traditional battlefields. For Lothmori cavalry units, fighting in forests is not a hindrance (aside from the inability to give a proper charge), other rough terrain types are only minor annoyances, and they are capable of re-forming broken formations very quickly. The Hydras used by the Lothmori forces are similarly unhindered in forests and barely bothered by other rough terrain types.[/hider] [hider=Territory and Military][b]Territory:[/b] Forest Capital City - Tekis Forest Medium City - Korvan Forest Small City - Kungaz Coastal Small City - Visiloth Forest Fortress - Giantclaw Fortress 2 Forest Castles - Castle Shadefang and Castle Whiskermist 14 Forest 1 Mountain 7 River 2 Coastal 254 Regiment Points 63 specialty points ----- [b]Army:[/b] 1 Regiment Royal Guard Skaven Hydra Riders (12 Hydras total, 1 Skaven at the reins and 6 archers in a howdah for each Hydra) 2 Regiments Royal Guard Skaven Spider Cavalry 1 Regiment Royal Guard Wild Elf Horse Archer 2 Regiments Royal Guard Skaven Composite Bowmen 2 Regiments Royal Guard Night Goblin Composite Bowmen 2 Regiments Elite Skaven Giant Spider Cavalry 2 Regiments Elite Night Goblin Giant Spider Cavalry 2 Regiments Elite Wild Elf Horse Archers 2 Regiments Elite Skaven Witch Rangers 2 Regiments Elite Skaven Monster Rangers 2 Regiments Elite Skaven Composite Bowmen 2 Regiments Elite Night Goblin Composite Bowmen 2 Regiments Elite Wild Elf Composite Bowmen 1 Regiment Elite Draconian Battleaxe Infantry 1 Regiment Elite Forest Dwarf Axe and Shield Infantry 3 Regiments Experienced Night Goblin Giant Spider Cavalry 3 Regiments Experienced Skaven Giant Spider Cavalry 3 Regiments Experienced Wild Elf Light Horse Archers 7 Regiments Experienced Skaven Composite Bowmen 5 Regiments Experienced Night Goblin Composite Bowmen 3 Regiments Experienced Wild Elf Composite Bowmen 4 Regiments Experienced Forest Giant Battleaxe Infantry 2 Regiments Experienced Draconian Battleaxe Infantry 3 Regiments Experienced Forest Dwarf Axe and Shield Infantry [b]Command:[/b] Skaven Arch-mage - Skarx Foulclaw Murioanthrope Mage - Skinripple (knows earth, water, and nature magic) 2 Skaven Mages - Moz Earthwhisker (earth, water, nature) and Dreadfang the Shadowbinder (earth, water, shadow) Night Goblin Mage - Draz Darkrant (earth, water, shadow) Draconian Great General - Orix the Cleaver Night Goblin General - Zarex Giantbiter Forest Dwarf General - General Hirol Elfheart Murioanthrope Commander - Scrabbleclaw Forest Giant Hero of the Realm - Oaksmasher [b]Monsters:[/b] 6 Units of Hydras (12 total) [b]Air Force:[/b] 3 Units of Wyverns (120 total) [b]Navy:[/b] 10 Schooners 5 Caravels 5 Windjammers 2 Galleons 10 Dragon Turtles[/hider]