God & Country
The continent of Antova: a collection of kingdoms, principalities and duchies loosely united through faith and beset by fire. The High Pontiff is dead, and the Prelates of the kingdoms convene to elect a new religious leader. In his absence, religious strife threatens to divide the bond between church and state. Every day, souls are lost to the pyre as the Ambrusian Order cleanses the "wicked" from the earth in its bid to maintain order. In the east, the drums of war beat and the muezzins rouse the devout to arms with prayer-song from their minarets. Sultans pray, bidding their prophet for blessings on their holy war against the unbelievers. It is a time of uncertainty, where war with the eastern world looms on the horizon, where even kings tread the thin line between salvation and excommunication, and where prayers for deliverance can be heard on the lips of every soul across the known world.
Welcome to God and Country, an NRP set in the continent of Antova - a pseudo-Renaissance Europe at a chaotic time where the Ambrusian Church reigns nearly supreme, and the borders of the easternmost kingdoms are threatened by the looming armies of the Timluks. Antova's monarchies are connected through their belief in God and His ascended Saint Fiorentino. However, the Fiorentinan world is embroiled in disorder, following the untimely death of the High Pontiff Brutellus. The iron gauntlet of the Ambrusian Church can be felt across the continent as thousands burn on the pyres; a political statement, as much as a religious one. The Fiorentian kings are divided in their loyalty to their country and to the church; and with the Timluks on the verge of invasion, such schism could not come at a worse time.
Players will control their own Fiorentian state and the characters within, vying against or cooperating with one another for leverage as the Ambrusians continue their purges. The loyalties of your monarchs and their subjects is up to you, although excommunication is a very real and present danger, which can be faced together, or alone. Meanwhile, the Timluk Sultanates stir to the east, and the call for war is a loud one. Although trade with the Timluks has enriched many aspects of the Antovan kingdoms, the two worlds have clashed time and time again in wars of religion. Untouched from the chaos of the east, virgin lands far across sea are rumored to await the blessings of Fiorentino, or perhaps to shelter those escaping the Ambrusian pyres.
Technologically and culturally, the world is equivalent to the late 1500s. Pike and arquebus have dimmed the candle of knightly dominance, and feudalism is becoming a thing of the past. Printing has led to increased literacy rates, and society has enamored itself with the arts and sciences. Yet, the masses' faith in God has never diminished, and the Church enjoys a seat outside the jurisdiction of secular powers. The setting is low-fantasy: there is magic, but it is hard to define and even harder to master. Practitioners are few and far in-between, but many have found employment in the courts of kings. However, wizards are also usually the first to bear the brunt of the Ambrusians' wrath when the purge swells. It is a discrete and indirect art - a wizard searching for a wind to manipulate a ship out of a lull looks no different than a devout man at prayer, to the average man. There are also no elves, no dwarves - humanity is supreme, much as in the real world, but there may be fantastical beasts and animals that dwell here.
Rules & Regulations
- I am the Lord, and my Word is Law. Not quite, but I am still GM and I will have the final say in the arbitration of disputes or rulings.
- You will respect and appreciate thy neighbor. There is no contest, no prize to be won. I have only provided a backdrop for a narrative, and I would like the story to come first. I hope players desire the same. I expect player nations will have long-standing history with each other, and encourage collaboration between them, if not declare it outright mandatory.
- Do not abandon thy countrymen to death or despair. Where high turnover rates and abandoned NRPs are commonplace, I aim to welcome players who are also invested in a long-term narrative and who have the drive to see it through. If you will be away for a time, please let us know so we can plan accordingly.
The Map
This is the map of the geographic regions most significant to the narrative. The continent of Antova comprises roughly the western half of the map. The east half is made up of the realms of the Timluks and other foreign peoples. A good practice might be to stick to where it's green. There is also the possibility of sailing far westwards, across the ocean and landing on an uncharted continent. That will be dealt with when we cross that bridge.
Nation Sheet
Now, with that on the table, who might be interested? I will answer any and all questions that come my way. I ask that land claims be withheld until the OOC is up, as I will need to establish the territory of the Timluks, other foreign lands and the Vatican-equivalent of the Ambrusian Church.
God forbid they're on the frontlines of the war with the Timluks! 
