This thread will be home to Ark's creations.
OP
Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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4 mos ago
CATACLYSMO: The Shattering
This story was born from my desire to experience a fantasy-themed world, rather than the countless science-fiction, futuristic variants that already exist in vast array. As this is currently an interest check, I would welcome any suggestions and additional ideas. I will, of course, also be answering questions should anyone need clarification regarding certain, or any, topics.
With that said, I will now present my idea.
Since the dawn of days there have always been legends to scare disobedient younglings into order, tales to frighten your companions over some ale whilst staying at a local inn, and stories to erase the monotony of travel. These memoirs, myths, and legends all reach into the furthest part of our world's history, often representing ancient kingdoms and empires, their heroes, and the countries of which they dominated. Other times they speak of spirits and whisps whom lead you away from your homes and into the night. And lastly there are the fables that speak of the impossible; raising land from the sea, bringing rain into previously desolate lands, and finally bringing life to the lifeless.
During our time upon Maulia, all these spirits and whisps, these mighty empires and kingdoms, these impossible feats of magic and might, have long since vanished into the void; seen only as mere fairy tales. Now all that exists are countless nations locked in stagnancy, small border conflicts littering every border across all of Maulia. A boring world, lacking in mystique and wonder. A corrupt world, lacking in justice and valour. A stagnant world, lacking in chaos and possibility.
It would seem like this boring world would never cease, that the countless feudal nations of Maulia would never stop their bickering, and that the corrupt lords would never tire of exploiting the masses. It was at the end of hope that the flower first blossomed. A flower which would bring unprecedented change upon our world. It was first when people began to accept torment that change occured. The transition was abrupt, sudden, and unexpected. The shattering was chaotic, Maulia was ripped apart quicker than anyone could ever comprehend. Lands which previously belonged to neighbouring kingdoms quickly came to drift away into different corners of our once unbroken world.
OP
Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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TAIYO-NO-KAMI
SHOGUN of OYAMA
The Silver Sun, Great Sage of the West, The Great Kaga.
TYPE
Taiyo Kaga is not a member of the Empire, instead he is one of the most influential actors of the Oyama Shogunate, a nomadic nation which heralds its origins to the Great Solar Empire that once used to inhabit the shattered lands of the west, which wanders the Draor Chor Reaches. His role as Shogun, however, does not only grant him great administrative ability, but also due to the darwinian nature of these inhospitable lands, those with power rise to the top. Taiyo Kaga's power and ability could most likely be comparable to those of the Imperial Archons of Illyrica.
RELATIONSHIPS
Taiyo's relationships are few in number. Though their reach does not extend beyond his people, for he sees the uncultured Easterlings with disdain and pity; lacking of the culture and wealth that his people has nurtured for thousands of years. Even cataclysm was not enough to quelch the embers of the Oyaman resolve, and as such he thinks highly of his own whilst looking down on those of foreign lineage.
Taiyo is a surprisingly young man, considering his power and ability, only numbering 31 years of age. Whilst his skin no longer ages, it does disform as time passes, although it can be more compared with a metamorphosis of unknown proportion as opposed to aging. Due to his young age, Taiyo has had few ignorant romances, a broken heart, and friends and family to rely on. The ordinary life of a clan heir was disturbed when suddenly, over night, his body was transformed into what it is today, a living vessel for the might of the sun. His hair bleached immediately, and his sense of mortality was forever discarded.
The bonds of his former relations are still alive, although one-sided. He had a momentary romance with the Solar Empress during his eighteens, only possible due to his Kaga lineage, but has now lead to a forever infatuated Empress desiring the recognition of her Shogun. In times this has lead to anything from dueling to beast slaying, all of which more often than not end in disaster. The Shogun, although, remains unamused.
The Silver Sun has largely discarded any of his former kinships and relationships, instead focusing on his duties and honing his power. The safety of the nation and the people come first, and therefore his power is essential in combating the hellish reality that is the vast Draor Chor Reaches that they had been forced to inhabit since their distant ancestors' exodus from the sun-blessed lands of the now scorched and disturbed shattered west. Although his hatred and envy of the easterlings does still manage to pique his senses, no ill can compare to the dark realms of Illyrica. As such he desires not only the realms of the Easterners, but their heads. The greater civilization deserves the world, and he believes his people, their ancient lineage, are those of the greatest civilization to ever bless the world.
APPEARANCE
Slender and muscular; regular Oyaman build. Similarities with others of his kin end when height is concerned, and whilst his eyes may be slanted and his skin sun-tanned like any other of his people, his eyes themselves would most sensibly be compared with suns and stars as opposed to anything human. His body, whilst well-maintained and fit, seems to crack, as if stone, letting out the supernatural glow of blinding incandescence. Few Oyaman consider him mortal any longer, instead they revere him as the Western Sun; the Silver Sun. After his reverence as the mortal manifestation of the Golden Sun, Taiyo's solar incandescence only grows brighter as the approaching summer beckons, and his power more overwhelming by the passing of winter.
LOYALTY
Taiyo, head of the Kaga Clan, officially serves the Solar Empress, the leader of all of Oyama. Due to the changing times however, the Shogun has been able to overrule the authority of the Imperial Family, and as such effectively rules the nomadic nation through martial law. The Imperial Family is therefore largely traditional, although their importance is enormous for the people, as their lineage is one of very few direct links back to the golden ages of the Great Solar Empire. Though very few of the administrators of the current Oyama care much for their past. Instead they see it as a coping mechanism for the people.
PERSONALITY//DRIVE
Most people see Taiyo as an incomprehensible machine, rooted only in duty and purpose, an automation which works tirelessly towards the betterment of the nation, and as such they welcome his power and influence. Taiyo's story is much less about such a noble decree as tirelessly working towards a golden future and more a tale of a star which was cast down from heaven. Whilst others revere him and his power, Taiyo discards his emotions and works ceaselessly so that his thoughts do not conquer him. He feels alien amongst man in a way that only a God cast down from heaven could. It is a lonely sense of superiority which encompasses him, whilst he's seen as a God amongst man by the people, he isn't amongst the heavens where he belongs.
As such Taiyo's ultimate goal is to return to the stars, the stars of which he feels he belongs. But before doing so conquer the East for his patron people, for they took great care of his vessel before his awakening at the humble age of 28. In his few years of having awakened to his true self he managed to unite the numerous lost and defiant Oyaman tribes of the desert wastes. Now the recently united Oyama sets out towards a future where its people are no longer forced to disgraceful caravan life, instead the promise of city life in glorious metropolises and palaces where they belong. The world itself was granted to them by the Golden Sun, after all. The world therefore is all Oyama's to take, so decreed the Silver Sun.
Although much like the river flows; all things are in constant change. Sometimes some rivers dry, and others change course entirely. The motivations of Taiyo may change, his desires could expand, and the promise of power could overwhelm him. Maybe the new Emperor of the Sun has already descended upon the Earth, or mayhap not.
HISTORY
As each warrior comes of age, and that the mantle of protecting the nation falls upon their shoulders, the story of the Solar Empire is placed upon them to carry. The Greatest Empire the world had ever seen lives on through such means, through word of mouth and the passing of generations. The coming-of-age of Taiyo Kaga was no different, and no less special. As he was told of the accomplishments of his ancestors, the might of their nation, and the wealth of their culture, he was brought into bewilderment. As the story concluded, with the death of the Emperor of the Sun, Taiyo was in tears. These would be the last tears that a warrior of the nation would ever shed, for the pain of the nation is greater than the person, and the person is the one to bear and protect the nation; therefore each person must be strong, each warrior must be equal a hundred men, so that even those few warriors may yet carry the nation onwards unto golden dawn.
Taiyo's father was the one who told him the story of the Solar Empire, of the nation which graced the earth with the majesty of the golden sun. In turn, his mother had been the one whom granted him his armour, the armour of which he would wield to carry the nation. It was an heirloom of bewildering origin, one of few direct relics of the golden past. As his father sat before him, the Clan Mistresses would adorn Taiyo the armour of which had just been granted to him on his 18th winter. Although snow was something only found in the dreaming world.
As Taiyo was fully dressed in his battle regalia, the family's ancestral blade was brought into his hands by his father. His father had a stirn look through the entirety of the passing of age ceremony, his face hid his emotions well. Taiyo knew his present duties, however. Now that he is able, for he has trained his entire life under his father and his generals, duties is all that is left of his life. 'The nation, for it is crumbling, needs the stars', said his father as he let go of the blade in his heir's hands, 'become the star of the people, see to it that Silver is all that the future has in store'.
Taiyo would spend many years fighting, protecting, and negotiating with the various enemies of the Oyama loyalist faction headed by his father and the Solar Empress. Some of the time he'd even spend woo'ing the Imperial Court with dramatical displays of swordsmanly prowess, and others times yet he'd spend time practitioning under the various sages within the Kaga Clan's influence.
His times as a Shogunate Heir were spent lacklusterly, only doing his bare minimum duty of protecting the Imperial Horde and its allies. The moments of his coming of age ceremony had all but been forgotten; brought to the back of his head through the pursuits of earthly pleasures. Charming women and impressing his fellow man was all he lived for instead, pursuing arts and poetry, literature and sword-dancing solely to fill an empty void within his heart that he could never properly trace. Several years would have to pass before the now maturing Taiyo would come to understand the meaning of his empty heart, and it would come at the death bed of his father, and the death bed of his ignorance. During the same night of his father, the Shogun's death, an awakening occured within the new Shogun. A slumbering aspect of his self made itself known in the most explosive and aberrant manner possible.
The young, ordinary Kaga heir grew immensely during the course of that single night, not only physically, but also mentally. As if a chain was lifted, or dam was punctured, allowing the endless flow of water; of power, to overwhelm him. The night would be a long one, and the day an even longer. His awakening to new power was abrupt, for as he awoke he was no longer within the Kaga Clan's caravan palace, but in the middle of the desert. His body ached, his joints immobile- He knew the dangers of the desert, vilespawn and treacherous beastlife roam and scavange the lands, eat and massacre anything in their way. Only the power of the Sun's blessed people, the Oyama, could ever have hoped to survive for so long as they have.
Taiyo would spend years roaming the desert, he'd meet travelers and bandits, raiders and loyalists, vilespawn and beasts. His legends recall his ventures in the sands, and the loyalties of which he forged with his fellow kinsmen in the desert wastes. Thanks only to this desert stranding, and his new powers, he was able to reforge Oyama and unite it once more, the formerly divided tribes of the Oyama now prosperous in unity. On his travels he managed to unite and counsel the various tribes through various different means. His newly awakened powers however made even the most distant opponent drop down in awe, as demonstrated when he reduced the mountains of the Kayoma Passage, transforming them into mesa, with one single cut. Other times his wits and wisdom was tested in typical Oyaman battles of poetry, where his excellence was displayed in a different light.
After many years, and the conclusion of the "The Desert Sun", as written by Taiyo's companion and poet Yuri Hamada, Taiyo was reunited with the Imperial Horde and a great festival was held in his honour. The Solar Empress was begotten with joy at his return, as opposed to the reunification of the Oyaman people. As the Empress made the proclamation of unity before all the gathered tribes of the desert, the newly appointed Shogun stood behind her. In that moment, as she finished and the peoples' bliss made the worries of the world inaudible, the Shogun's chest burst open. Unlike what one would typically expect, his flesh was not of typical biologic origin, but rocky and hard. As the new nation watched on in confusion and terror, and the Empress turned around in fear and fright, the opening in the Shogun's chest glowed an incomprehensible incandescence, allowing rays of blinding light shine out into the world. The Shogun's skin began to crack, crevaces covering his entire body, allowing the strange light to encompass more of the land.
The Shogun ultimately collapsed, his body hard like stone and immovable by those whom tried to aide him. The people, however, had a different proclamation to make in light of this new discovery; 'The Silver Sun!' Shouts began faint, but eventually encompassed the entire crowd, an entire nation assembled chanted before the now kneeling and unconscious Shogun, proclaiming his divinity. Everyone was clueless of reality in lights of the events that had occured before them, however, suddenly the seemingly lifeless Shogun was brought back to life as he exhaled an odd, dark smoke from his lungs.
The 'Silver Sun' chants continued for what seemed like an eternity, but few proclaimed something unspeakable, something truly heretical, 'The Emperor of the Sun has descended upon man!' To question the legitimacy of the Solar lineage is not only against the Way of the Warrior, but also punishable by death.
ARMAMENTS
SEKAIOHAKEN - Sekai-o-hakai-suru-ken (世界を破壊する剣), otherwise known as Sekaiohaken, literally translates to "the sword that destroys the world". It is the name of the solar blade which was forged from the very essence of the newly named Taiyo-no-Kami's incadescence. The greatest swordsmith in all of Oyama was granted a piece of the material which had burst out from the Shogun's very chest, and with it he discovered its mineral-like nature. He was able to forge it into a weapon of incomprehensible power, and recently finished it. As of the start of the roleplay, the Sekaiohaken, or World-Shattering Sword, will have been in the Shogun's possession for three days. The sword itself loosely resembles an Oyaman proto-sword design accustomed to the style and handling of the Silver Sun. The sword itself doesn't seem to belong on Earth, carrying with it a very distinct celestial auroma. The sword and Taiyo appear to have a kind of symbiotic connection, allowing the blade to remain fundamentally formless, which allows it to adjusts its proportions to fit Taiyo's style.
FUTSUKO - Futsu-no-otoko-no-ken (普通の男の剣), commonly called Futsuko, literally translates to "the ordinary man's sword". The name itself may be underpowering, however, the deed that it harbours is a thousand fold greater. The newly published "The Desert Sun" speaks of Taiyo's adventures when he was suddenly spirited away into the desert, and this blade is the one which a humble merchant gave him for free in pity of the lonely man wandering the wastes. Futsuko is a classical Oyaman blade of Katana style. The sword itself is not special, but its power and ability is imbued with the very essence of Taiyo. Futsuko is popular with the people of Oyama because the blade itself is analogous to the people; their power when wielded by a great swordsmaster. The power of which they speak of was well explained in the aforementioned epic published and popularized by the Shogun's traveling companion. She wrote, "the three of us stood before the great passage, the mountains towering into the heavens. The Silver Sun grasped the blade's handle, a blade of which seemed worn and old, no more ordinary than the warmth of the desert. Like the passage of the wind, the sizzling of the sand as it flowed across the dune sea, the sword was unholstered, and with a single slice, the Silver Sun sealed it within his scabbard once more. All whilst the great mountains of the Passage crumbled before our very eyes. A single cut, and the towering mountains were reduced to meager hills." It is said that the sword is the manifested spirit of the Oyaman people and carries their manifest destiny.
TEIKONARI - Teikoku-no-yari (帝国の槍), commonly called Teikonari, literally translates to "the spear of an empire" and is one of few heirlooms which remain of the Solar Empire which has long since crumbled into ruin. The sword itself was a gift by the Solar Empress, although less gift and more a chance to gain favour with the Shogun, whilst the weapon itself is powerful, the Empress' attempts at charm were not. As such Teikonari is an exceptional weapon within the Shogun's almost endless armoury, although its exceptionalism grants it certain favour with the Silver Sun, who uses it in battle more often than not. This enlightens the Solar Empress' heart to no avail. The Spear itself is said to have been used by one of the Emperors of the Sun during their reign to not only maintain order, but also rule the nation, because the spear has supposed power to not only create and destroy nations, but also to maintain them.
ABILITIES
Taiyo, in his years of training and battle, has followed the common principles of what is known amongst the Oyama people as the Seven Star Sword Doctrines. These doctrines describe various styles, their pros and cons, but most importantly their founding principles. In Oyama, battle is less chaos and more order, the perfect duel is slanted towards perfect order and finely balanced harmony. Each cut has its own meaning, and each style is comparable to philosophical doctrines. Taiyo was forced to expand on what he'd known from growing up, but also learn wholly different styles, even make several of his own, and expand those, in order to not only conquer the beasts of the desert, but also the minds of the people.
As such Taiyo is a Great Sage, master of all the Seven Star Sword Doctrines, and even conqueror of the Black Sun style, a previously unreachable mastery which effectively makes him a War God in the eyes of Oyama. His skills have transcended all mortal limits, and his abilities not only reinforce his status amongst the people as the Silver Sun, but also expand on it. His swordsmanship seemingly transcending all mortal barriers, cutting through grass, plate, and boulders just the same. All things are laid equal before the Black Sun, death is the only currency of which the Dark Star employs, as such death is the only trade of which Taiyo has mastered. He must conquer the people of the East for they are the schackles of his celestial heritage, and he will use their idol, the Dark Star, in doing so.
Even so, Taiyo's nature remains still uncertain. Is he the mortal manifestation of the Golden Star on earth? Is he the Emperor of the Sun, whom would descend from the skies, or is he just a lonely star, cast down from heaven? Either way, hidden power surges within him, waiting for him to learn the truth of his existence.
OP
Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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4 mos ago
EMPIRE of OYAMA
"Ours is a story of changing seasons; our people have thrived and whimpered. Now in this cold, cold winter night we stand rigorously; the spirit of Oyama as inexhaustible as it is rigorous. But even as winter destroys, takes away the bountiful life of the world, it is integral in the rise of something greater. Even now that our people is at its lowest, we stand glorious. Even when all fire has been extinguished, the last flame will be Oyama, and we will revive the world!" - Taiyo Kaga, during the reunification of the 20 Clans.
TYPE
The Empire of Oyama, often referred to as Oyama, is not a holding but a nation. It holds great culture of foreign, dead concepts and virtues. But even as it is a nation, it is no ordinary nation. What holds it together in these changing times is not borders but the rigorous, undying efforts of great men and women; of great warriors. To some this may seem odd, that a nation has to work ceaselessly to even exist, but when your nation is forced into nomadic life during the time of a great apocalypse, few saw any other alternative. Now they have lived nomadically, divided, and weak for many centuries. Their weakness was not in their power, or their warriors, but their division. Even a great sword can be destroyed with a single touch, provided it is sufficiently cracked; Oyama was cracked to the brink after they fled from the Solar Empire which once occupied much of the west, but they are now whole again. The reunification of the Oyaman people under the Sun has just occured, and the Western Sun shines bright. Oyama will manifest its destiny; the golden sun promised them the world, so they shall have it now.
CULTURE
A typical Oyaman caravan.
Oyama is a nation of foreign, alien culture, when looked upon from by the Easterlings. First and foremost a warrior's culture, but great civility and education dominates what should logically be a lawless wasteland. The great clans of Oyama have all very different cultural ancestry and lineage, but the permeating thought is the survival of tradition. Art and poetry, wisdom and wit, all prized aspects of their culture, the people of Oyama entertain themselves not in blood games or in horrific brawls, neither do they spend their money whimsically on gambling or tavern life, instead they play games of wit and smarts, duels where clashing of swords is substituted by the clashing of ideas. With the death of the fabled Solar Empire during the War in Heaven, Oyama, a crown province of the Empire, was forced to exodus. Over the journey to new homes, countless millions died, and many took their lives in spite of promised future. Strenght is priced beyond simply convenience; it is a necessity. The life of a warrior of the sand does not suit this noble warrior's people, but it is a life of which they were forced to adopt. Too weak to invade the east, and impossible to live in the west, they settled the Draor Chor Reaches and have adopted an odd lifestyle of living in mobile palaces and cities built on the back of domesticated wild life. These mobile structures can range in size and scale, with the biggest being the Imperial "City" of Yamano, which is built on the back of a rare breed of Oro, which can most simplest be described as a gigantic form of pack animal. The people of Oyama are indeed a strange ensamble, spiritual yet skeptical, warriors of mind and body yet without the desire to wield their blade at every possible convenience.
Still, if one were to simplify Oyaman culture into a sentence, I suppose it would be this: Oyama is an alien people of warriors; warriors of necessity. What I mean is that Oyama is a warrior's nation, where the power of each soldier is amplified by the desire, duty, and honour of their past. But these warriors are not exclusively soldiers, they are warriors of mind and of body, personifications of necessity. The people of Oyama are wise, so they sharpen their swords, but they'd rather be blissful, so they could sharpen their minds. There are still few within Oyama whom hold their ancient warrior traditions alive, and they became the Great Clans. Chief amongst them are the Kaga, whom hold the Shogunate.
DESCRIPTION
The present Solar Empress during a reconnaissance mission to the Republican border.
The Empire of Oyama is a nomadic nation which inhabits the vast reaches of Draor Chor, but it's origin reaches into the Shattered Western lands. The people of Oyama were once part of a great nation known as the Great Solar Empire, a nation which was founded and ultimately destroyed in the west. It was a nation in which the Emperor of the Sun had not only the Sun's blessing, but also the power to manifest his desires upon the world. Its armies were vast and its influence was massive, but its people were benevolent and wise, but not ignorant enough to discard the blade. It held onto its rigid existence in the world through authority and respect amongst its equal neighbours, and made itself known throughout the world through innovation and enlightened ideas.
Its culture was one of great quality. So great a culture was that of the nation under the golden sun, that it was not afraid of foreign influence, but welcomed it greatly. The Solar Emperors were wise men of both old and young age, and did not discriminate. Its warriors were noble and just, and did not thrust the sword upon those whom had deserved no greater harm than defeat. Prisoners were therefore kindly treated, and innocents were spared. Refugees flooded to the nation, but it welcomed their integration, and allowed them equal opportunity and freedom within its illustrious and expansive borders.
One of these refugees would become the first of the Oyama, and the Oyama would then come to ascend into the very core of the Solar Empire. Upon the death of the first Solar Dynasty, the nation was thrown into chaos. It's once gold-paved streets reduced to broken cobble. After a hundred years of ceaseless war, and the cowardly influence of alien powers, the Solar Empire was later unified when the King of Oyama, Yamato, rose into the heavens, and recieved the blessing of the Sun. The Golden Sun had told him, "Ye are my sons and daughters, ye people of Oyama. Ye deserve the world, so I shall give it unto ye". The people of Oyama then manifested their destiny and ascended from nothing into everything, unifying all the shattered nations under the Sun into one Great Solar Empire. From then on, the power of Oyama could not be questioned, and the newly reformed and reunified Solar Empire could not be conquered, nor could it be defeated.
Thousands of years of peace was however raptured when cataclysm laid waste to the world, and the west was forever destroyed henceforth onwards. The people of Oyama were able to escape, escape in all the frivolity expected from former Emperors and royals now turned into refugees. The golden lifeline survives still, however. The lineage of Yamato lives on in the present Solar Empress, whom is seen as the icon of her people, the power of her lineage still very apparent even almost a thousand years after the destruction of the greatest nation amongst man. However prestige cannot be measured in times of war and strife, or so the present warrior-elite of Oyama believe. The nation is presently governed by 20 Great Clans, Kaga of which is Chief amongst them, and holder of the Oyaman Shogunate. The 20 Great Clans organize and administrate the numerous Imperial Hordes, but most importantly, they direct defensive and offensive efforts. They organize raids, raids of which are done in absolute necessity, and plan future conquests of the Easterlings from within the Great House of Yamano, also known as the Imperial Palace.
LAWS
The life of Oyama is a dangerous one, seemingly always walking side-by-side with annihilation and destruction. Only in recent times, the last few years in fact, has order been restored to the once great nation of Oyama. As Taiyo-no-Kami exclaimed, "We shall be great again", and so they have attempted to become. One thing that remained the same, however, is the laws and systems of the Empire of Oyama, and more importantly, the importance of the Shogunate.
The nation is governed by the Way of the Warrior, sometimes referred to as the Way of the Samurai, and the reason for such is simple. The way, or laws, of the warrior, have always applied for warriors since the rise of the first solar empire. But due to the Imperial Necessity which occupies Oyamas present state of social affairs, most people are considered warriors, with only those too young to fight, or those too old to properly wield their blade, remaining within the Ie, or house, of the Caravans (The Ie is the name of the structure on the back of each pack animal). All criminal acts are solved individually, but through regional courts. These courts can decide on any punishment, but they have to chose amongst one of the punishments available for each path. These punishments are decided upon by the Triumvirs. Most punishments are the same, no matter which path, but depend on severity.
Therefore, due to the divide, there are three laws which govern the nation and three warlords which govern the laws. The laws are often referred to as the Three Solar Paths, and their governing warlords are known as the Triumvirs of Yamano. The first solar path is the Path of Youth. These laws include sections such as "respect those whom are elder" and "learn, for the life of the desert is dangerous and full of evil". The Path of Youth focuses on diligence and respect, loyalty and dedication. To break these laws is an affront to the nation, although the punishment is far more lenient than any of the other paths, but can extend to upwards of death.
The Path of the Warrior, the Way of the Warrior, or the Way of the Samurai, is the path which governs over all whom have graduated from their youth, which means that the moment your might and mettle as a warrior is recognized, you will ascend to these rules and doctrines. The laws of the warrior are mostly moral, such as "they whom have no blade have done ye no wrong" as well as "fulfil your duty until death, only death may set you free from obligation".
The last path, the Path of the Old, is a path which applies for those who have grown too old, too weak, to wield their blade for the betterment of the nation. Instead, they are told to wield their wisdom for the betterment of the people. "wise are ye, so teach others wisdom", "discipline those whom know not wrong from right", and "obliged are ye whom know much, obliged to help those whom require aid" are all excerpts from a few of the tenants of the Path of the Old.
MILITARY
An artist's personification of the Solar Decree of Imperial Necessity.
Oyama is a nation which is governed by the Solar Decree of the 86th Emperor of the Sun, it states: "When times are dark, fret not the winter sun. It may bring the snow, the death of nations, but when times are dark, rally to the strongest men amongst ye. They will be your guide". The Solar Decree is called "Imperial Necessity" and demands the adaptation of its people during times of crisis. This means that any abled body must learn the ways of the sword, every capable blacksmith must forge for the sake of the nation, every carpenter must act for the betterment of the people. The strong, in turn, are obliged to govern and rule the country before all else, forced to forsaken family and ambition. The strong amongst the Oyama are known as the Great Clans, of which there are twenty. These twenty clans trace their lineage through countless generations of warriors, even during their time in the Solar Empire, and have been relied upon to rule and govern Oyama, but most importantly, to rally them together.
Ever since the arrival of the Great Horde to the Draor Chor Reaches several hundred years in the past, the Great Clans had forsaken their sacred duties of protecting the Solar Empress, sometimes speaking of the Imperial Family since the cataclysm as a meager "branch family" of the pure solar lineage. In turn, due to conflicting with the ways of the warrior, the Imperial Horde excommunicated them into the furthest depths of the reaches. So it remained, more and more clans diverging from the Imperial Horde as time went on. In the end, during the reign of Taiyo's father as Shogun, only the Kaga clan remained.
The Way of the Warrior is a doctrine of which governs the people of Oyama, for everyone is a warrior in these dark times.
Even though everyone is forced to become a warrior during times of necessity, the Empire of Oyama employs strict regulation of warfare and how it is performed. By the age of 12, the Art of War is a necessary educational instrument amongst the future generation of warriors, same applies for countless other literary works. By the age of 16, one is expected to have mastered one sword style of the several hundred different ones found within the Seven Star Sword Doctrines, and by the age of 18, one is forced to slay a beast of the desert to prove their worth. Soldiers amongst the Oyama are called Samurai, so effectively everyone is a Samurai. Loyalty and duty are cornerstones of that lifestyle, but their ability as warriors is fathomless. Once one has slayed a beast of the desert, one becomes a Samurai, and are typically gifted the Imperial Medallion, which is supposed to extend the Stellar protection of the Imperial Family unto its people. Samurai are warriors of many skills, and are typically capable of wielding not only multiple weapons effectively at the same time, but also overcoming overwhelming military odds.
Due to various reasons, mainly domestic security, the times where military actions have ranged beyond the protection of the caravans are few. Due to the nature of aging, the warriors of Oyama grow fewer, and thanks to maturity, the Samurai of Oyama grow even fewer in size. Most soldiers are employed in the defense of the caravans and trade routes because they're simply subpar in the Shogun's eyes, with only a retinue of 10 000 contributing to the entire offensive power of Oyama. Although these 10 000 warriors are beyond any other warriors of their supposed equal, for these warriors are the Shogun's own, and study his own warpath. Though they are called the Shogun's Own, they are not necessarily lead by the Silver Sun. Instead they are often lead by one of the Silver Triumvirs of Yamano; powerful Daimyo, otherwise known was warlords, who have devoted their life to Taiyo-no-Kami's philosophy of war.
"To Wage War under the Sun", a book authored by Taiyo-no-Kami, is the military guide to warfare under the Shogun's military.
+ "War is like the equilibrium between sun and moon; harmonious. Without darkness life would have overgrown, and without light life would have never existed. War is necessary for the bud of life to grow beautiful, but balance between loss and gain is vital." - The Shogun's Own, a warband of ten thousand of the mightiest warriors of Oyama, adhere to Taiyo-no-Kami's teachings. As mentioned above, the warpath of Taiyo is a meticulous one, and is decided less by ambition and prize, but more on the ability and power of his people. He is aware of their skills and their ability, and therefore he is aware of the enemy that he is able to defeat, no war is won through ambition, and therefore the Shogun's Own horde fights only when it wants. Through cavalry they are maneuverable; like the wind, they are everywhere yet nowhere. They strike with precision and overwhelming power, they hit the enemy with the impact of a falling star, yet as quickly they disappear into the distance. The condition and severity of Oyama demand the survival of its warriors, and as such the Samurai use decisive and precise strikes to win wars with haste and precision.
+ "The Way of the Samurai is a demanding one, with few capable of bearing the burden of a great warrior. I know first hand the weight of the Sun in the desert, the overpowering burden of carrying it onto new dawn. We are few, therefore we must wage war with our minds, not our brawn; like the cobra we must seem powerful even in defeat. Like the viper we must strike rapid and swiftly. And lastly, like the Python, we must crush our enemies and starve their resistance. We are few, but our power is amplified a thousand fold." - Proper Samurai in the nation of Oyama are of few number and high demand. Their abilities must extend past four sword styles, and they must be able to use any weapon. Their training is constant, and no warrior is ever at their peak, with their skill in a constant state of improvement. Only age may set the warrior's soul free from their shackles of duty, but seldom does age show on these great warriors of the Dune Sea. The Samurai must therefore be strong, to overpower the numerical advantage of the seemingly overpowering obstacle of the Eastern strongholds of both the Republic and the Empire. Each soldier must be capable enough to accurately slice water as it falls from the heavens, and each warrior must be capable of overcoming overwhelming odds. Most importantly, each warrior must fight until death, for only in death does duty end.
+ "Do not underestimate the power of mobility. Even the wind may seem trivial, but it spreads disease and death without equal. We must be like the wind, we must spread the disease of which the Easterlings cannot conquer, a threat that they cannot quell. We must conquer and establish, uproot and plant a new seed of civilization. To do this, to revive the root of the Solar Empire, we must be swift and decisive. A good horse is worth a hundred men, and a good Samurai on a good horse is worth an army." - The power of cavalry cannot be overstated, but its superiority is not guaranteed. Spears can destroy any cavalry charge, and hail of arrows can destroy any immobile force. Therefore one must know the battlefield, and that is what the Shogun's Own have learned to do. The hierarchy and the system of the Shogun's Own is strict, but its stratagems are in constant motion. Horses and Samurai are often used to great effect through the medium of horse archery. Though the beauty of the Samurai is not in their singular doctrines, but in their liquified behaviour. One could compare the Shogun's Own, and the military doctrines of the Shogun himself, to be like the seasons; all of them beautiful, but all of them specialized. One must know what to do during the seasons, and therefore the Shogun's Own must know what to do when their tactics do not succeed. The constant, ceaseless motion of the Samurai's tactics and military thinking allows them great versatility on the battlefield, but it requires great leaders. The generals of the Shogun's Own are therefore nigh-irreplacable.
+ "The power of the bow is forgotten in this age of might and magic. A proper bow, crafted by the best carpenters of Yamano, can be worth more than any mage when put in the right hands. But a Samurai should not be led into a tunnel, their minds must be open. War is order and chaos, we must be the balance; to create order when there is chaos, and to become chaos when there is order. Therefore we must adapt, and therefore no Samurai should favour no single weapon, be it sword or bow; spear or javelin." - Force amplification is a specialty of which the Samurai have learned to master in their times of desperation in the desert, and that concept has been expanded upon further by the Shogun's own teachings on the matter. A proper Samurai does not wield a single weapon, but several, each for their own aspect of the battle. One must be able to adapt to the constant flow of the battle, and a Samurai is someone who is not only capable of adapting, but of overcoming seemingly unbeatable obstacles.
THE WESTERN SUN DAWNS
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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EXALTARCHY of ARCHONNEN
NATIONAL INFORMATION
-Population: Circa 100 million~ inhabitants across all the regions of Archonnen.
-Faction: Justinian.
-Capital: Capitolopolis of Exalossa.
-Government Type: Exaltarchy/Exalted Bureacracy.
-Government Description: An Exaltarchy is a government which has been directly crafted by the Justinian themselves where one of the Apostles were elected its Exaltarch and instantly granted Divine Mandate. The nation is then inherited by the closest bloodline related hero or champion of the Justinian. Beyond the Exaltarch and their exalted family, the remainder of the nation is administered and operated through imperial bureacracy where various titles, such as that of the magnate and the archmagnate, are granted to deserving individuals. The roles of the magnate and the archmagnate are to administer some of the many noble holdings in the case of the magnate, or the administration of the various magnacies in the case of the archmagnate. All titles within the nation are effectively viceroyalties as such, allowing the Exaltarch the ability to remove any such titles from individuals, including noble roles, should the individual in question be unworthy of the title.
The Transference of Power, and the Empyrean Vows, as done by Exaltarch Empyraeos Gloria, 289 years ago, in front of his household guard, which would later become the foundations of the Infinite Army.
-Head of State: Exaltarch Armarossa Gloria the Splendid.
-Currency: The Exaltarchy employs Sacrosanctian currency, often referred to as "Sacros" by the common populace. It is referred to as Aequint Coins by the educated, due to their relation to the ancient Megasovereignty of the Aemos Imperios, which is of big influence in core Justinian lands.
-Languages: Majority Aemerine speaking nation, with a tolerance for Sancthiyin Elvish within its elven majority communities. Due to the massive convergence of languages, the nation has decided to enforce the Aemerine language due to ease of communication.
UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE INFORMATION
The Union of House Apollon and House Solis, 250 years ago, and the founding of the Great House of Apollis.
Firstborn amongst the Justinian crusader states, founded personally by the Justinian and its apostles, the Exaltarchy of Archonnen serves a form of role within the Justinian society which could easily be explained as a direct extension of Sacrosanctia into the nations of mortals. A unified, loyal Justinian nation, the Exaltarchy appears indomitable, monolithic, however waits patiently for its time amidsts the spotlights of the new world’s wars. One could surmise that the nation is more akin to a sleeping giant, as opposed to an active crusader state, its support of other fellow Justinian nations is mostly kept to supplies and equipment, of which there are many of fine quality.
- The Superstate - Justinianism is highly utilitarian, but above all, it is authoritarian to no end. As such, the Exalted State of Archonnen, headed by the Glorious Exaltarch Armarossa the Splendid, has seemingly endless reach into the affairs of common individuals. The Exalted State, represented by the Solar Eye, is an incredibly vast bureacratic institution that reaches as far as local trade and construction, with seemingly no end to its reach within the Exaltarchy. It is a highly paranoid existence, keeping tight wraps on secrets and does not enjoy unexpected occurences.
- Catalyst of Mortal Gods - Armarossa the Splendid, Exaltarch of the mighty superstate of Archonnen, is a highly powerful lord whom walks the Materium. His administrative efforts, and his apparent exemplorary Justinian personality grants him great favour with the One True God, Justinian. In so becoming the avatar for the three greatest of Justinian's Aspects; Wolfraum Azvorn the Dragon Eater, Sovereign Ultimatum of the Aemos Imperios, Apexus the Transcendant, Mortal God amongst Man, and lastly, The First, Founder of the Justinian Ideal, and the Aspect of the Beginning.
- King of Kings - The Exaltarchy is home to a colossal amount of Justinian heroes and champions, and has a hold on immeasurable power. However, the nation itself is ruled by recognition and legend, but most importantly, Justinian virtues. The King of all Justinian Champions rules the Exaltarchy under Justinian’s direct influence, and is called the Exaltarch. The title of Exaltarch comes with many boons, such as that of Divine Mandate under Justinian, making his word and law, a direct extension of the Justinian. They also experience greater supernatural protection, beyond being simple heroes, the Exaltarch also has Divine Intervention, which allows Justinian to directly intervene in matters which involve the Exaltarch’s direct safety. The Exaltarchy is also a nation of countless heroic tales and stories, the Exaltarchy were the first to come into war during the initial Crusade of Justinian, and has since upheld the heroic lineage of their forefathers 300 years ago. The nation is ruled, therefore, by ancient heroic bloodlines, and seldom are there people of note whom do not bear the title of Champion of Justinian.
- The Justinian Giant - The Nation of Archonnen is objectively the largest nation in the Materium, and has the largest population in all the world. To accompany this, the nation itself is effectively centralized, with a highly capable industry, and its people are accepting of the Exalted State. The economy is thriving, and the nation has been in a golden age for 150 years. It is a very stable nation, a nation with complete faith in its Exaltarch.
- The Infinite Army - The Exaltarchy of Archonnen is an inexplicably vast nation, not only of size, but of population. Due to its economic and sociopolitical stability, the Exaltarch, the nation’s ruler, is able to summon forth a practically endless host of warriors. However, the Infinite Army is slow to mobilize, and requires immense preparation before the titan can lay waste to its enemies.
- You are my Fellow Man - Racism and cultural distance is naught in the nation of the Exaltarchy, for it is rich in understanding and benevolence. Instead, assimilation and understanding of other people under the Justinian banner is welcomed and their unique traits are highly desired. Ill thoughts are instead directed towards those whom do not share these traditional justinian ideals. It is also home to some of the most devout, traditionalist Justinians on the world-continent of the Materium, as such it is harsh to alien influence, but still follows the rules of justice and benevolence. Racism is a bygone topic amongst metropolitan Archonnen, instead harm comes to those whom lack the same religious beliefs as the majority.
- Epiphany of the Perfect World - Much like many other Justinian nations, the Exaltarchy of Archonnen wildly utilizes the practice of the Epiphany of the Perfect World to keep its subjects loyal, devout, and hopeful of a united, peaceful future where lands once divided are reunited, and the drums of war turn into the hymns of peace. Although the negative of this process leads to naturally occuring "Great People (super geniuses)" lacking the freedom to fully exercise the full potential of their abilities to acquire the best possible result. This means that most roles in the government, and the system in general, is filled by individuals who are largely limited in their freedom and movement. This means that instead of lateral thinking, reliability and loyalty is instead emphasized.
- World Cities - The nation of Archonnen is vast, but its population far more excessive. Its people are ambitious architects and constructors of marvels of which cannot be compared. It includes cities of which can be described as worlds in and of themselves.
- Armoury of the Gods - The capital city, Exalossa, is home to countless wonders worthy of world recognition, one of which is the Golden Armoury. The Golden Armoury consists of the collected wealth, legend, and recognition of endless heroes in the form of their armour, weapons, and trinkets. It is estimated that tens of thousands of legendary relics can be found within its walls, and some of the strongest weapons on the materium are kept within its inner sanctum, away from dangerous influences. The armoury’s contents are beyond invaluable.
- Proof of Loyalty - Due to the Exaltarchy's somewhat paranoid and control-freaky government, the inhabitants of Archonnen require proofs of citizenry. These proofs are not given handily to anyone, and can be removed at a moments notice by any state official. To gain a proof of citizenship, one must have resided within the Frontier-region of Pinnopol for an approximate 25 years, under strict surveilance. Once this has been completed, one may finally pass beyond the harbours of any city, or cross the menacing Millennium Walls that protect the Justinian Heartlands.
- Distant Allies - The Exaltarchy of Archonnen is a distant political entity to its Justinian allies, unwilling to send military aide in form of military personnel for undisclosed reasons. As such, it is a very enigmatic entity to other Justinian Sovereigns, gaining them great distaste from most Justinian Rulers. Although, in regards to Sacrosanctia, the Exaltarchy and the Theobureacracy of Sacrosanctia share great diplomatic relations, arguably the best in all of Justiniandom.
- Resolute Justinians - Traditionalist Justinians to the extreme, the Exaltarchy of Archonnen is highly unwilling to deal with foreign religions, and the followers that they enthrall. Whilst few exceptions have been made, the Exaltarchy works endlessly to instill disdain and intolerance of other religions, leading to even their Ambassadors to often adopt a "burn the alien" policy when dealing with other allied nations.
- Thrones of Gold - The Exaltarchy of Archonnen appears impossibly arrogant to its allies, often demanding much of them in return of very little. Whilst the Exaltarch's influence and directive is of undeniable religious importance, as he is effectively the Right Hand of the Justinian, he still seldom gives befitting boons in return of other Justinian nations' services. Therefore, dealing with Archonnen politically is a very arduous task indeed.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Isotropis, a sterotypical Archonite metropolis
MEGALOPOLISES (Red)
- Grand Capitolopolis of Exalossa (Capital of the Exaltarchy of Archonnen).
- Regional Capitolopolis of Petrix (Capital of the Archmagnacy of Pinnopol).
- Regional Capitolopolis of Pridos (Capital of the Archmagnacy of Leopol).
- Regional Capitolopolis of Justipolix (Capital of the Archmagnacy of Apollis).
- Regional Capitolopolis of Molis (Capital of the Archmagnacy of Exalos).
- Regional Capitolopolis of Oriossa (Capital of the Archmagnacy of Sepola).
- Megalopolis of Kropolix (Capital of the Magnacy of Constantio, Apollis).
- Megalopolis of Leopolos (Capital of the Magnacy of Macedos, Leopol).
- Megalopolis of Amonos (Capital of the Magnacy of Amo, Apollis).
One of several Bastion-Settlements across the entirety of the Millennium Walls.
Points of Interest
- Grand Protectorate of Millennos, the Millennium Walls (Border between Pinnopol and Sepola).
- The Aemoros Border-Mountains (Entirety of Archonnen's norther border).
- The Aemoros Wildwoods (Accompanies the Aemoros Mountains).
- The Great-Mountains of Aporion (Central Archonnen).
- The Daggersand Dune Sea (Central Archonnen).
- The Empyrean Palace (Great Palace of the Exaltarch, Central Exalossa).
- The Immortal Memorium (Surrounds the entirety of Exalossa, millions of statues raised in remembrace of those who fell for the Reconvergence).
- The Monuments of Remembrance (Scattered around the many thousands of cities throughout Archonnen, often manifested as gigantic statues that symbolize sacrifice and resistance).
- The Great-Bridges of Petrix (Petrix; Harbour, commerce, and military districts).
- The Enigmatic Stone (The apex of the Empyrean Spire, Empyrean Palace, Central Exalossa).
- The Golden Armoury (Foot of the Empyrean Palace, Central Exalossa).
RACIAL INFORMATION
-Majority race: There is no direct majority, although humans number in a very sizable racial minority, coming in at a drastic 42% of the population. Humans often dominate the administrative sector, as well as the military, although Auxilliary units from other racial fields are utilized to great effect due to their special characteristics. Whilst they are indirectly forced into service, they are given great boons by the state upon their military resignation.
-Minority race(s): Archonnen is an almost incomprehensibly vast nation with a very sizable populace within its borders, as such almost all of the world's civilized species can be found within it in at least some form or other. A very important distinction to be made, however, is that whether they can be found within the Frontier-region of Pinnopol, or the Archonnen Heartlands are of different importance. Pinnopol serves as some sort of garbage dump for the nation's undesirables, although it does maintain a ready military presence with exemplary auxilliaries levied from these very undesirables.
-Race Description(s): Humans, elves, dwarves, kobolds, centaurs, giants, and so much more, all of it can be found within its expansive borders. If there's a civilized race in this story, chances are high it has found its way into Archonnen in one way or another.
RELIGIOUS INFORMATION
An extermination operation of a local, cowering Red Pantheonist enclave.
-State Religion: Canonical Justinianism
-Patron Deity: The Justinian
-Religion Demographics: The Exaltarchy and Sacrosanctia collaborates on many-a religious operations, as such the demographics found within Archonnen are an overwhelming majority Justinians, with an unaccounted for, but incredibly small minority Red Pantheonists. These Red Pantheonists are actively genocided, and sacrificed for the greater purpose of the Recovergence of both the Materia and the Celestial Realm. Although, there're some extreme and less extreme cults and sects found within Archonnen, there is only one socially acceptable interpretation is that of the literal interpretation of what is written in the Canonica.
-Holy Relics in Possession: The lands of Archonnen are home to potentially the largest collection of Holy Relics in the world, almost all of which are collected within the Golden Armoury of Exalossa. Whilst entry into the Golden Armoury is almost completely restricted, only a select amount of individuals are granted passage from the Exaltarch himself into the massive vaults of the Golden Armoury, and even then there're some weapons and some areas of which are not granted passage to even the Exaltarch without the explicit say-so of the Justinian themselves.
These are those weapons, and they are ranked from strongest to weakest:
+ Materium - The Elder-Sibling of the two weapons, Materium is the greatest Justinian artifact ever granted to mortal hands. Made specifically for Empyraeos Gloria, the first Exaltarch of Archonnen, and the founder of the superstate, the sword "Materium" was crafted not on earth, but in the celestial realm. Through the use of impossibly vast amounts of magic, it and its sibling-blade, the Aemoron, were transported between realities, and as such wield the unfiltered powers of the Celestial Realm themselves; commonly referred to as the Sons of the Epilogean Blade. It was locked away into the then newly-created Golden Armoury, of which it has remained uninterrupted for the last 270 years.
+ Aemaron - Much like Materium, Aemoron seethes of alien powers and unfiltered power. It carries, much like the Materium, a somewhat incomprehensible silhouette too vast a creation for normal mortals to comprehend. Its existence can only be percieved by those powerful enough in the powers of magic, and then it is seen as a flaming manifestation of a most unusual blade.
+ Aegul the Limitless, Sword of Transcendance - Personal Sword of Apexus the Transcending, and it was potentially the strongest weapon ever wielded by a Justinian aspect in the fields of combat pre-Justinian. Apexus was a mighty King who ruled a united nation and stood against the tests of time, his elven prowess granting him great wisdom, but his odd giant-blood giving him unrivaled power. The odd mix, and by all concievable reason impossible, granted him near god-like power in the eyes of mortal subjects. He was a just king, albeit somewhat brutal, but he met a horrific end at the hands of the Old Pantheon, for they saw his existence as an affront to their power. Apexus had hired the best smith in the world to forge him a weapon, and this Smith, Liron, forged an artifact of incomprehensible power, allowing even Apexus to transcend even mortal power. The Gods were affronted by this, and hastily disposed of the great ruler. The Sword was reclaimed, as insanely as it sounds, from the middle of an open field north of Archonnen, beyond the border-mountains.
+ The Destroyer, Lance of the Unknown, Mornom - A largely unknown weapon reclaimed from an otherwise unimportant ruined Ashenlur temple. Scholars can only grasp at straws as to its origins, but it appears to have been the reason for the colossal temple's demise, and is therefore assumed Justinian, or at least an opponent to the Old Pantheon and its injustices. Opinions are divided as to which of the two it is, but its power is guaranteed, and must therefore be isolated from the rest of the world.
+ Barafragas the Forgotten, Blade of the Conqueror - Personal weapon of Wolfraum the Conqueror, the Dragon Eater, and sometimes even the Dragon King. Wolfraum ruled the Aemos Imperios for a hundred years, and upon his death at the injust hands of jealous Gods, the unrivaled megasovereignty was shattered into thousands of weak petty kingdoms. The blade of Barafragas, one of which had slain hundreds of thousands, weak and strong, is one of the most blood-stained blades in Justinian history, and is adequately powerful. The bane of all dragon-kin, east to west. It laid undisturbed for a thousand years before it was dug up from the ancestral home of Wolfraum, where Exalossa is now located, and in the deepest Sanctum of the Golden Armoury.
+ Aeon the Unbroken, Sword of the Ages - Another unknown blade of unknown history, although with very apparent power. Unlike the Materium and Aemaron it is unable to dominate the material world, and bend it to its whims, but its blade is one of inconcievable age, and still retains a perfect edge, fabled to be able to cut through every single material object.
+ The Lance of Justice, Glory of the West - Weapon of choice of the Aspect of the Beginning, the First. It carried onwards the spirit laid out initially by Wolfraum, but brought it one step further. Whilst The First's nation was nowhere near as vast, he was a much greater person than any other Justinian Aspect before him. The Lance of Justice exemplifies this trait, and is said to be able to craft empires out of nothing and shatter even the greatest bastions with but a wave. It was reclaimed by Justinian themselves during their first appearance upon the world, and then granted to the Gloria family as a family heirloom. It was lost at the hands of Morus Gloria, the Unfortunate Exaltarch, during the Devastation about one-and-a-half centuries in the past. It was recovered at great cost, and then brought back into the vast vaults, never to be glanced again.
+ Haros, the Blade of an Empire - Another weapon of the First's. Haros was the First's chosen dismounted combat weapon, and carries with it the same qualities of the Lance, although its spiritual significance is diminished, due to the iconic nature of the Western Lance. It never left the Golden Armoury since its reclamation during Justinian's first appearance.
+ Aelo the Tidecaller - An unknown weapon of great power, albeit highly niche. Aelo the Tidecaller was brought out from the seas, a place of which its power is great. Capable of bending the sea to its will, the wielder of the Tidecaller may even dominate the Southern Sea and jetisson its many monstrosities into the air should given the authority.
+ Oron, Bow of the Forgotten - A blade said to shoot through the very concept of space and time. The arrow of Oron are known as Blackfyre arrows, a magic enchantment granted to it by the bow itself, allowing the arrow teleportation-esque qualities, allowing incredibly long-range sniping abilities. the Blackfyre arrows themselves are also incendiary, and the fire is hard to suppress.
+ The Monolithic Sword of Ashora - It has always been there, it will always be there. It lied at the feet of Barafragas during the initial excavation of the Golden Armoury's lowest sanctum, its true power has never been truly revealed. It emits a largely unknown and bewildering magical radiance.
+ The Spear of Exodus, Moras - The Spear of Exodus is capable of unleashing great plagues and great evils upon the world. Created by an unknown, but obviously evil existence, the Plague-Spear of Moras is an incredibly potent evil. Whilst many plagues and diseases within this world can be cured by magic, the contagions of Moras are greater than any common disease or plague, engineered or otherwise. It's initial owner, Obyion, a Great Chief of Myion, a long-dead nation which once occupied some of the Archonnen region, was killed by the Aspects and Justinian, and his feared weapon was stored forever onwards within the Golden Armoury.
+ Aemaron - Much like Materium, Aemoron seethes of alien powers and unfiltered power. It carries, much like the Materium, a somewhat incomprehensible silhouette too vast a creation for normal mortals to comprehend. Its existence can only be percieved by those powerful enough in the powers of magic, and then it is seen as a flaming manifestation of a most unusual blade.
+ Aegul the Limitless, Sword of Transcendance - Personal Sword of Apexus the Transcending, and it was potentially the strongest weapon ever wielded by a Justinian aspect in the fields of combat pre-Justinian. Apexus was a mighty King who ruled a united nation and stood against the tests of time, his elven prowess granting him great wisdom, but his odd giant-blood giving him unrivaled power. The odd mix, and by all concievable reason impossible, granted him near god-like power in the eyes of mortal subjects. He was a just king, albeit somewhat brutal, but he met a horrific end at the hands of the Old Pantheon, for they saw his existence as an affront to their power. Apexus had hired the best smith in the world to forge him a weapon, and this Smith, Liron, forged an artifact of incomprehensible power, allowing even Apexus to transcend even mortal power. The Gods were affronted by this, and hastily disposed of the great ruler. The Sword was reclaimed, as insanely as it sounds, from the middle of an open field north of Archonnen, beyond the border-mountains.
+ The Destroyer, Lance of the Unknown, Mornom - A largely unknown weapon reclaimed from an otherwise unimportant ruined Ashenlur temple. Scholars can only grasp at straws as to its origins, but it appears to have been the reason for the colossal temple's demise, and is therefore assumed Justinian, or at least an opponent to the Old Pantheon and its injustices. Opinions are divided as to which of the two it is, but its power is guaranteed, and must therefore be isolated from the rest of the world.
+ Barafragas the Forgotten, Blade of the Conqueror - Personal weapon of Wolfraum the Conqueror, the Dragon Eater, and sometimes even the Dragon King. Wolfraum ruled the Aemos Imperios for a hundred years, and upon his death at the injust hands of jealous Gods, the unrivaled megasovereignty was shattered into thousands of weak petty kingdoms. The blade of Barafragas, one of which had slain hundreds of thousands, weak and strong, is one of the most blood-stained blades in Justinian history, and is adequately powerful. The bane of all dragon-kin, east to west. It laid undisturbed for a thousand years before it was dug up from the ancestral home of Wolfraum, where Exalossa is now located, and in the deepest Sanctum of the Golden Armoury.
+ Aeon the Unbroken, Sword of the Ages - Another unknown blade of unknown history, although with very apparent power. Unlike the Materium and Aemaron it is unable to dominate the material world, and bend it to its whims, but its blade is one of inconcievable age, and still retains a perfect edge, fabled to be able to cut through every single material object.
+ The Lance of Justice, Glory of the West - Weapon of choice of the Aspect of the Beginning, the First. It carried onwards the spirit laid out initially by Wolfraum, but brought it one step further. Whilst The First's nation was nowhere near as vast, he was a much greater person than any other Justinian Aspect before him. The Lance of Justice exemplifies this trait, and is said to be able to craft empires out of nothing and shatter even the greatest bastions with but a wave. It was reclaimed by Justinian themselves during their first appearance upon the world, and then granted to the Gloria family as a family heirloom. It was lost at the hands of Morus Gloria, the Unfortunate Exaltarch, during the Devastation about one-and-a-half centuries in the past. It was recovered at great cost, and then brought back into the vast vaults, never to be glanced again.
+ Haros, the Blade of an Empire - Another weapon of the First's. Haros was the First's chosen dismounted combat weapon, and carries with it the same qualities of the Lance, although its spiritual significance is diminished, due to the iconic nature of the Western Lance. It never left the Golden Armoury since its reclamation during Justinian's first appearance.
+ Aelo the Tidecaller - An unknown weapon of great power, albeit highly niche. Aelo the Tidecaller was brought out from the seas, a place of which its power is great. Capable of bending the sea to its will, the wielder of the Tidecaller may even dominate the Southern Sea and jetisson its many monstrosities into the air should given the authority.
+ Oron, Bow of the Forgotten - A blade said to shoot through the very concept of space and time. The arrow of Oron are known as Blackfyre arrows, a magic enchantment granted to it by the bow itself, allowing the arrow teleportation-esque qualities, allowing incredibly long-range sniping abilities. the Blackfyre arrows themselves are also incendiary, and the fire is hard to suppress.
+ The Monolithic Sword of Ashora - It has always been there, it will always be there. It lied at the feet of Barafragas during the initial excavation of the Golden Armoury's lowest sanctum, its true power has never been truly revealed. It emits a largely unknown and bewildering magical radiance.
+ The Spear of Exodus, Moras - The Spear of Exodus is capable of unleashing great plagues and great evils upon the world. Created by an unknown, but obviously evil existence, the Plague-Spear of Moras is an incredibly potent evil. Whilst many plagues and diseases within this world can be cured by magic, the contagions of Moras are greater than any common disease or plague, engineered or otherwise. It's initial owner, Obyion, a Great Chief of Myion, a long-dead nation which once occupied some of the Archonnen region, was killed by the Aspects and Justinian, and his feared weapon was stored forever onwards within the Golden Armoury.
-Holy Sites under Control: There are no Holy Cities in Archonnen, but there are numerous important religious locations; such as Archonnen's Golden Armoury. Foremost amongst them is the entirety of the Empyrean Palace; the personal residence of the Exaltarch, his personal guard, the upper-echelon of the Exalted State, and their personal guard. Center piece in a great board which spans the entirety of Archonnen, the Empyrean Palace consists of a superstructure which towers into the heavens, and sprawls deep into the earth. The Empyrean Spire breaches into the heavens, and at its Apex, lies the chambers of not only the Exaltarch and his Empyrean Court, but also the Enigmatic Stone. Borrowing into the depths of Exalossa, the legendary Golden Armoury lies, together with its tenants, whom may never leave its vaults, and protects the relics. The Empyrean Citadel occupies the surface space of the Empyrean Palace, and is the home for the administrative center of the Archonite War Machine and the Exalted State's High Command.
-Notable Magical Institutions: Archonnen lacks individual centers of scholarly knowledge, and instead relies on Sacrosanctian colleges of magic and knowledge for training most of its administration. That beign said, the nation is not without centers of learning, they're simply few and hard to enter. The Exalted state funds and owns academies of learning in all of the great cities and is the foremost center of knowledge for several fields of study.
-Religious Interpretations/Culture/Structure: Archonnen is home to too many cultures to name, and too many interpretations to even comprehend. Whilst all things are maintained and cooperative by designs established early on in Archonnens infancy, Archonnen has learned to develope a culture surrounded on lack of any definitive, particular culture. City-life in Archonnen is filled with all kinds of oddities, and exotic dishes, where as instead the farmlands develope isolated cultures with their own practice and festivals.
More often than not, however, life in Archonnen centers around the vast cities, with gigantic markets and massive forums for people to spend their times outside as opposed to nothing. Although Archonnen society is a highly hierachical one, with each individual defined by their particular duty, and their purpose, and their work. Everyone is given a purpose, everyone is given a job, and they are supposed to finish said task before their life expires. It is the necessity of Justinian success, and it is the Archonite Dream to work or take part in something that will later become groundbreaking or revolutionary.
This sense of "Worker's Duty" is further emphasized with massive, and numerous monuments that glorify duty and sacrifice for the sake of accomplishment and success. The Grand Capitolopolis of Exalossa is surrounded by one such gigantic monument; a monument consisting of hundreds of thousands of marble statues in the shape of nameless soldiers, all of which gave their lives for the sake of Justinian success. Be it the ones that fell during the Initial Crusade, or the ones whom fell during the Devastation, they are all immortalize here, so that they can stand guard whilst the next generation brings success.
As aforementioned, Archonite society is highly hierarchical, and by extension orderly. The regimes of each individual is strictly controlled and enforced, but made in such a way as to imply a fake sense of control. This is to keep the citizens happy, but also to ensure continued efficiency in the Archonite Industrial, Administrative, Military, and Commercial machine. The State as such has massive insight into the lives of each individual, and monitors them closely to ensure no criminal activity is undertaken.
As such, crime in Archonnen is surprisingly rare, and executions, otherwise called as "Judgements" are massive occations of enjoyment for the common folk, amassing around the Empyrean Spire's Obsidian Obelisk (where criminals are crucified and made to atone for their crimes).
The people of Archonnen, in its sprawling cities, are as such massively controlled, mind controlled even, and the farmers and village-livers are simply too ignorant to know what the Exalted State is doing. As such, the people of Archonnen honour fallen heroes, and pride themsleves in their government. They are incredibly loyal to the state, but also to Justinianism itself, due to Sacrosanctian administrative and theocratic influence.
Archonnen and the Theobureacracy of Sacrosanctia are gigantic allies, and cooperate in almost every sphere of administration, education, and commerce. Miltiary being the only thing that Archonnen itself exclusively operates, since it acts as the effective army of Sacrosanctia, with the Exaltarch being the Supreme Commander of the Mortal-led Justinian Coalition forces.
As Archonnen is a powerful Justinian nation, in close proximity with Sacrosanctia, and with great cooperation with the fatherland of Justiniandom, it is a predominantly Canonical Justinian society. As canonicals, it follows these tenants:
1: Must acknowledge Justinian as the true and only god of the universe besides the deceased Demiurge, the evil creator god of the primordial era - the great antithesis and root of all evil.
2: Must acknowledge and accept the Great Reconvergence as desirable, necessary and inevitable.
3: All celestial entities that are not Justinian (demiurgic entities) must be destroyed, following them is treason.
4: The Justinians word and mandate is absolute.
5: Accepts and takes part in self-sacrifice and the consensual curse
6: Acknowledges and accepts the existence and role of the Oratorium, allowing them the right to carry out their duties and operate within your borders.
7: Accepts and takes part in the Epiphany of the Perfect World.
8: Acknowledges and takes part in fighting in the Sacrilege War. There can be no peace until the Great Reconvergence is completed, as such this will be our final war.
9: Acknowledges Justinians divine intervention and miracles, as well as the magic delegated to the mortals.
10: Acknowledges Asceticism and the inherent impurity of the physical world and as such officially rejects materialism.
MILITARY INFORMATION
150 years ago, the warriors of Archonnen marched beyond the Heartlands to topple the Great Taunt; the home of the Turqoise Deciever. Since their first defeat in the devastation, they have secluded themselves to an enigmatic task, never having marched beyond Archonnen for the last 150 years.
Total Military Size: Circa 1,000,000 (give or take a couple thousand) active soldiers are maintained and supplied by the Exaltarchy of Archonnen during this state of peace.
Listed Heroes: Archonnen is a nation whose power and authority stems from its leadership; an upper-echelon of Champions whose heraldry stems all the way back to the age of the Apostles, and in the case of the Great Houses, have direct connection with the Apostles of Justinian that marched forth from Sacrosanctium 300 years ago. The Great Houses are the following; Gloria, Orass, Immortis, Sepolon, Pax, Arboria, Apollis, Eternus, and Immortasus. There are numerous other dominating bloodlines within the Bureacracy of Archonnen, but there're also skillful "unaffiliated" administrators. What is to be most commonly known, however, is that the Champions of Archonnen are LEADERS as opposed to WARRIORS. This leads to most of their time being spent administrating the gigantic realms of Archonnen, although their skills on the battlefield are expected to remain capable, they're mostly employed by the Exaltarch and Justinian as superb military commanders.
- Exaltarch of Archonnen, Armarossa Gloria.
- Archmagnate of Pinnopol, Horus Orass.
- Magnate of Pinnopol, Oramor Immortis.
- Magnate of Basilis, Luxus Gloria.
- Magnate of Herapolis, Solus Sepolon.
- Magnate of Victorix, Glorion In Victorix.
- Magnate of Prodros, Vigilos Gloria.
- Archmagnate of Sepola, Justice Pax.
- Magnate of Sepola, Lorido Immortis.
- Magnate of Solom, Solomanus Orass.
- Magnate of Floris, Glorianus Sepolon.
- Magnate of Solimo, Armaron Pax.
- Magnate of Gloria, Empyraeos II Gloria.
- Magnate of Aris, Praelis Aris.
- Archmagnate of Apollis, Luxiticanus Arboria.
- Magnate of Apollis, Pantokratos Apollis.
- Magnate of Amos, Tribentaros Monoluxus.
- Magnate of Nerona, Paxos Rex.
- Magnate of Constatio, Prevosus Eternus.
- Archmagnate of Exalos, Rex Eternus.
- Magnate of Exalos, Justinianus Gloria.
- Magnate of Palamis, Justrianus Monoluxus.
- Magnate of Akropos, Arborianos Arboria.
- Archmagnate of Leopol, Empyraeos Immortasus.
- Magnate of Leopol, Empyraeos Monoluxus.
Military Doctrine: The Empyrean Court consists of 512 individuals, half of which are Grand Primuses. These Grand Primuses were once regular Primuses, leading legions and training their forces. They were renowned for their ability and granted the Gift of Knowledge. They were promoted into the highest echelon of the Infinite Army and its machine; the Court of the Exaltarch, but more specifically, the War Council.
The Exaltarch, together with his 256 Grand Primuses lead their wars from within the War Council, the inner-sanctum of the Empyrean Court, and craft strategies and tactics around the war table. Regular Primuses do not know strategy, they known only how to lead men, so they employ standardized strategic templates, or in aemerine, Legalimatum Militarismos Templatos.
However, as a Grand Primus, you are given the ability to craft these strategic and tactical templates under majority vote, and the will of the Exaltarch. This ensures that not any template can enter the Iron Biblicon, the book where all the templates are collected, and the book of which all Primuses must know by heart.
Military Units: The Archonite Warmachine is one which baffles the world throughout all of Materia; no nation across the lands does not know of the Exaltarchy, but even less, of the Infinite Army. Originally created by the remnants of the aftermath of the Great Battle of Tramontan, Empyraeos gathered the shattered Justinian Forces and brought them back to the Temporary Region of Archonnen which would later come to be known as the Exaltarchy of Archonnen.
He, with the aide of his fellow Apostles, attempted their utmost to place the first stones for the foundations of the Exaltarchy. One such stone, one such stepping stone, would come to be known as the Infinite Army. Initially a highly modest, but quite numerous collective of anything from woman, man, and beast, it quickly expanded and became the dominating peacekeeping force in the vast land.
Whilst its initial purpose was of pacification, it quickly became known for its prowess in the fields of battle, as it fought against resisting Red Pantheonist enclaves which, by this point, were not as weak as they are in the modern day. They maintained the law, and secured the land, so that the industry, infrastructure, and urbanization of Archonnen could take shape. It would take many decades before the powers of Archonnen became apparent to anyone, but the embers first laid forth by Empyraeos would quickly burst into flame during the Great Birth, 139AWH. The Great Birth was not only the moment that the Birth of the Exaltarchy as a superpower first became a reality, but it was also the moment where the industry, infrastructure, urbanization, and modernization was completed.
But most importantly, it was also the moment of the first renovation of the Infinite Army. It took a decade for the completion of the first renovation, and it would come to be battle tested shortly after in Tramontan, as would only be fitting. The warriors of Archonnen proved powerful and capable, but ultimately only ash made its way home from the battlefield; the devastation instead burning itself into the minds of any Archonite.
Now in the modern day, after the completion of numerous other renovations, the power of Archonnen's Infinite Army is stronger than ever before. And now more than ever, it is ever more apparent.
Infinite Army Retinues:
"If the Lord of the Empyrean Spire, if the Only True God, has need of our ability; our zeal; our swords, then who are we to deny them? We have trained for decades, honed our prowess for the Reconvergence; we will march when the time comes. They will have our spears."
The Infinite Army employs a million men, and most of which are variants of infantryman. The basic soldier of the Archonite warmachine, but by no means basic in actuality. Fully equipped in rune-plate forged from the many foundries of Archonnen's cities, and armed with sword and Sancthiyin Halberds of magnificent quality, the Infantryman is ready for war in all manners except in truth, for even as they have prepared for decades, no one truly knows when the Exaltarchy will march onwards once more.
Their armour is potent enough to deflect and resist any conventional form of kinetic piercing damage, leading them to not use the shield, instead favouring the heavy, magically-reinforced armour of the rune-plate. This also allows them to focus on the offense, and whilst their armour is highly resistant, the Archonite battle-stratagem focuses heavily on a hybridized tactic of offensive defense. This means that the infantrymen specialize in ripostes and various deflective techniques.
The rune-plate allows some momentary anti-magical defense, but it is unable to handle repetitive magical bombardments. For that they seek the aid of either Guardians or their Primuses; or in the best-case scenario, the Warmagos.
With a strict hierarchy dominating how Archonnen operates in general, the Infantrymen are left with little to do but obey commands (something of which they do with great zeal). The ideal soldier is what they have been shaped into after centuries of trial and error.
Forced to partake in some of the most rigorous training regimes in all of Materia, the infantryman is trained for decades until their prowess cannot progress further and they are put into a Tribulum (essentially a Roman Century). Twelve Tribulari make up one Nihilum; essentially a Cohort. Each Nihilum is organized by an elite group of soldiers known as the Archonite Guardians, individuals of which make up one Tribulum. Twelve Nihilum make an Archonite legion, one of which is led by a Primus of varying prestige.
The Infantrymen are therefore essentially the necessary foundations on which the bulk of the warmachine shines. The cogs of the great machination of the End.
"To become new, to innovate, such is a decision. It is not a process, like some may say, but it is a lifestyle. We, as the Lance of the West, the Neo-Justinian Warmachine made manifest, employ the might of innovation. We are Justice made with steel and gunpowder."
Technically of the same rank and authority as Archonite Infatrymen, the Archonite Lancers are of a wholly different breed of warrior entirely; namely the modern kind. They employ the tools of war known across the realms of Materia as the Sancthiyin Cannonlance and its function is quite potent.
Equipped with specialized armour, but mirroring the same quality of the Archonite Infatrymen, the only real big difference is their weapon. A work of marvel which combines the defensive abilities of a spear, and harnesses the raw offensive power of a gunpowder weapon, the Sancthiyin Cannonlance is a magically enhanced weapon of high quality, capable of supplying enemy battle formations with gunpowder from afar, and holding down flanks from cavalry with the multi-tool qualities of their weapons.
To become an Archonite Lancer requires great physical training, for the power of the Sancthiyin Cannonlance, or the Western Lance as they are often referred to as, is highly demanding. After a battle, Lancers are the second priority after wounded warriors, when it comes to recoverative magic.
"We know our duty; to protect the sanctity of Justice. We know our purpose; to fight the evils which taint the universe. We will spread our wings, we will bring truth, and we will burn the taint of evil. We will protect the world, be the world willing or not. We will prevail, the Empyrean Dream is within reach."
The second in the Hierarchy of the Archonite Legions, and the next logical progression from either a Lancer or an Infantryman, is the Guardian. A Guardian is essentially a veteran warrior whom has experienced the nature of the Archonite Legion, or the military in general, for several decades. Whilst in truth no different than other infantrymen, their skills and equippment is where they excell; after 3, or so, decades, the Exalted State demands of its soldiers that, in order to stay within the Infinite Army and reap the benefits, one has to learn the ways of magic, administration, and further expand on their combat prowess.
As such, the Archonite Guardians are individuals whom serve the Primus' Legionary War Council, know the ways of battle-magic and efficienct combat rituals, and have an additional decade on their neck, making them quite potent in battle. Whilst the hierarchy does not allow them to question the strategies of the Empyrean Council or the tactics of the Primus, they have the ability to have their voices heard, albeit barely, but are forced to fight until the death like any other warrior of Archonnen should need be.
"To conquer evil is no simple task; it requires prowess otherwise thought unobtainable. We are the End of Evil; we are the lance of Justice. We are the power of the West incarnate."
Often times Elves of military background, but not exclusively, the Archonite Primus is the leading field-commander of an Archonite Legion unless other, greater forces intervene (such as Counts, Dukes, Magnates, Archmagnates, or the Exaltarch). More often than not skilled in centuries of war, the Archonite Primus are the apex of military field-command.
Elevated from the foremost ranks of the greatest Guardians available personally by the Exaltarch, the Primus employs the knowledge of Guardians together with the zealous leadership which can only be found within the Brotherhood of the Infinite Army's upper-echelon. Whilst not as tactically sound as one would suspect, the Primus is forced to employ the countless pre-built and pre-constructed strategic and tactical templates designed within the Empyrean Council, by the hands of the Exaltarch and his court of Grand Primuses.
As such even a Primus is merely another piece of which the Exaltarchy uses to further its dominance; never to act independently, and never to leave the supervision of the Superstate, such is the fate of all citizens of Archonnen. But even still, the Primus lacks the independence, and is far too loyal, to question the Exalted State under normal circumstance, and therefore instead directs orders to their legion with fanatial efficiency.
"There are those fools who deny themselves the only true pleasure; the Empyrean Joy. They do not seek the end of the perverse, distorted, tainted world of which we all reside. In the end we are all unwilling residents here, it is merely a matter of understanding the truth. We are the bearers of truth, and we will bring the light of reason to those whom desire to veil themselves in lies."
Beyond the simple hierarchy of the regular Archonite military system, the Empyrean Saints are a breed of both elite and unique soldier. Selected amongst the greatest of Archonnen's warriors, the Empyrean Saint is a magically empowered, transcending warrior capable of vicious, savage, and most holy vegeance.
Empowered personally by the will of Justice, the Justinian themselves, the Empyrean Saints spread the truth across the battlefield. Their faith is second only to their military prowess, and all those whom refuse to bend to the truth will be disposed swiftly with the Empyrean Saint's physical and arcane prowess.
The Empyrean Saint is seen as the strongest infantry that Archonnen can muster, and epitomizes Archonnen's offensive ideals. Seldom on the defense, always on the attack, each Saint use their unique physique and empowered attributes to become one-man-armies on the battlefield.
Due to the gruesome transformation process, and the selection criteria in general, the ranks of the Ascended, the Empyrean Saints, otherwise known as Saints, is gruesomely slim. A total size of 1000 serving at any given time, the Ascended are forced to become single-man-armies, lacking any sort of unit cohesion or teamwork, for they lack the numbers.
Therefore each Saint takes care of themselves, and if one may fall, then cohesion is not broken, for each Saint is an army upon themselves.
"We are the necessary darkness; the end and the beginning. We are the conduit, of which darkness manifests so that light may overpower. We devour armies, we lay waste to legions. We are War, we are the conquest. We bring the dance of creation and destruction."
The Exalted Warmagosi of the Empyrean Court, the personal archmages of the Exaltarch, are the single best mages in the entirety of Archonnen, bar perhaps the Exaltarch himself. Unlike the Archmages of other nations, such as Sacrosanctia, the Warmagosi of Archonnen wield exclusively the arcane arts of war, destruction, and ruin. They lack in all knowledge pertaining to creation, restoration, and support, and instead are masters and disciples of ancient archmages whom know only the arts of death.
Often times elves, but also other long-lived races, the Exalted Warmagosi are selected personally by the Exaltarch, with insight from the Justinian themselves. Sometimes even originating from beyond the Exaltarchy's borders, the Exaltarch goes to extensive lenghts to acquire potential disciples for the secret magics kept within the vaults and floors of the Empyrean Spire.
Prone ot secrecy, there is little to be known about this elusive court of royal archmages beyond their renowned prowess with battle magic and combat styles, with many world-renowned hand-to-hand martial arts finding their origins within the minds of a Warmagos. What little is known is told to higher-officials from the Exaltarch personally.
The Warmagosi within the Institute train rigorously, against eachother, in martial-arts deathmatches within internal arenas inside the Empyrean Palace's spire, with the hierarchy based extensively of right of arms and kratocratic principles. Overseen by the Exaltarch's direct vision, the actions and daily schedule off these battlemages can only be described as insane, with massive subterranean caverns hollowed out and reinforced beneath the city of Exalossa to isolate any potential damage caused by the Warmagosi and their unrestrained duels.
"To conquer is a simple task, but to protect? To protect the future of worlds; the future of millions? To protect an idea, even. To protect is the most noble of duties, and such is ours. We pledged our alliegance to the End, and for that purpose we have trained every morning light, every starry sky, towards ensuring the defense of the End."
The Empyrean Guard, mightiest warriors of their kind, are the personal bodyguards of the Exaltarch and their Empyrean Court. Employed first by the First Exaltarch of Archonnen, Empyraeos Gloria, to protect him and aid in his pacification of the Archonnen Region before the birth of the Exaltarchy, the Giants of Mogorokor, in the vast Border-Mountains have since been employed to act as the personal protectors of the Exaltarch.
Due to the long life-span of the Mogorokor Giants, they have stood their vigil, and served their duty, to the First Exaltarch and his descendents, for almost 300 years. Their skills and prowess has only increased as they've grown, and now paired with the immense protection granted to them by their hell-forged Rune-Plated armour, they have turned into the apex of military power.
8 meters tall, an estimated one-tonne weight, paired up with their 100-kilogram armour, 2,7 meter greatsword, and their immense tower-shield, the Empyrean Guardsman is turned into an exceptionally powerful warrior, capable of decimating numerous warriors with merely a swing of their massive blade.
Usually located exclusively in the presence of the Exaltarch, wherever they are present, the Empyrean Guard's sole purpose is the protection of the Empyrean Dream, something of which the Exaltarch is a necessity to achieve.
Infinite Army Auxilliaries:
"To think that the steeds of the West would be neither Gryph nor Lion, but instead the noble centaur. Unmatched in speed and prowess, and undisputed cavalrymen, these fine warriors will make fine addition to the Exaltarchy of Archonnen." - Orys Plax, Grand Primus.
The Grand Army of Archonnen, the Infinite Army, is grand and expansive, however the majority of its roles are limited to characteristics found within certain majority races within the grand nation. Due to this, the Exaltarchy employs auxilliaries from sizable, but more importantly, desirable racial minorities; so whilst humans dominate the ranks of the Infinite Army, the army's auxilliaries are exclusively non-human.
First and most employed of the numerous auxilliary retinues are those from the Centaur tribes of the daggersand dune-sea, located in the center of the nation. Having adapted to the scorching temperatures and the vast distances of one of the world's largest deserts, the centaurs of the Cabor, Koldro, and Omno tribes, the three largest centaur tribes in Archonnen, have long been venerated by locals for their prowess in both speed and coordination.
Now, since the pacification of Archonnen some 200, or so, years ago, the Centaurs of the dune-sea are under the command of the Infinite Army, and due to their warrior traditions, have served as some of the most loyal subjects in the nation.
They're called upon in the nation's time of mobilization, and are obligated to aid the superstate in its military ventures. That being said, the retinue system does not demand that warriors keep up to the herculean regimes of its military forces, and it does also not demand constant service, but it does demand that when called upon, they must answer in number.
The Centaurs of Archonnen are supplied, for their services, with forge-made weapons and armour worthy of their centaur war-craft, which means that any centaur who returns from their first service as a retinue will leave with their own, state-gifted suit of weapons and armour. This leads to the centaurs often being divided in two formations; vetrossi formatismos and neborisso formatismos.
Veterossi Formatismos:
The Centauros Veterossi Formatismos translates to Veteran Centaur Formation in aemerine, and is essentially a formation consisting entirely of veteran centaurs. Equipped in heavy and protective rune-plate, the veteran Centaurs are armed with some of the mightiest war-lances in the land. Employed as shock cavalry, the Centaurs are still equipped with a backup sword should they ever become bogged down in a melee engagement.
Neborisso Formatismos:
The Centauros Neborisso Formatismos translates to Newborn, or Recruit Centaur Formation. The recruits found within this formation are always lead by Veterossi instructors, but are instead equipped with bow and arrow, as opposed to the lance and shield of the Veterossi. Due to their rapid movements and natural coordination, the cavalry archery of the Centauros Neborisso is quite formidable and sometimes even employed without an accompanying Veterossi Formatismos.
"From the frigid, excruciatingly cold world of the great border-mountains they come. To think that even the simple notion of their existence, is such a curious thing. Giants, once thought barbaric, now march with us side-by-side." - Empyraeos Gloria, the First Exaltarch of Archonnen.
The Giants, often called Warriors by the Archonite peoples, are some of the grandest, greatest warriors of the materium. They herald from the great border-mountains of Aemoros, from the illusive and often times legendary giant village of Mogorokor, but have since settled in numerous parts of the world.
Giants and man had their first engagements 300 years into the past, during the crusades of Justinian. The Giants bowed their heads to the Only True God and since cooperations have been extensive and fruitful. Most notable are the Empyrean Guard as well as the legendary titans of the far-west. The giants are special in the sense that they are incompatible with many aspects of Archonnen's world, but the Exaltarchs have always gone to great lenghts to try and assimilate the giants into Archonite Citylife through both ludicrous and ingenius plans of city-construction and architectural design.
Now as many as 10,000 giants live in the many cities of Archonnen, but many more still live in the Border-Mountains. The Giants are long-lived, and difficult to communicate with due to their distance away from Archonnen, so there is instead one-in-a-year report exchanged with the Mogorokoro High Elder, his council and the Exaltarch that takes place in the Empyrean Palace.
This leads to the Mogorokor peoples and their subject tribes are exempt from regular conscription like the Centaur, but are instead forced to send warriors into the Infinite Army. These warriors are known as Titanos, titans. They undergo highly different training than regular infantrymen due to their special qualities, but are employed side-by-side when their training period has expierd with their fellow titans and their more human-looking allies.
A Giant can enter one of two military formations upon their graduation from training; Nihilum Titanos and the Exilator Titanos Formatismos.
Nihilum Titanos Formatismos:
The Nihilum is a typical Formatismos employed by the Infinite Army; it is a unite of cohesion and includes numerous smaller groupings of individuals. However, as the typical accomodation of a Giant's strenght is that of an entire tribulum, the Giants fight in formations of twelve, effectively making up an entire Nihilum with twelve individuals.
Giants fight in highly loose formations, often supporting their more fragile brothers fighting by their feet, but will not be afraid to wreck havoc upon their enemies with their special weaponry and armour. Their armaments are standardized, wielding the Great Halberd paired with a tower shield. Should the situation demand it, the titans are allowed to drop their shields and wield their halberds to the best of its ability.
Exilator Titanos Formatismos:
The Exilator Titanos Formatismos is a highly special formation and consists of Giant Heralds, as they're refered to in Mogorokor, but more commonly known as 'Templars' or 'Guardians', the Exilator Titanos, or Exalted Giants, are able to employ magic like any other Guardian within the employ of the Infinite Army.
A titan guardian is always the leading entity in any titan formation, but they can also make up an entire formation of their own, and when that happens, they make up an Exilator Nihilum Titanos. The armaments of the titan guardians are the same as any other titan infantrymen, however their also wield a sword should worse come to worse.
"Elves, much to answer for you have. Ruled the world for centuries, millenia even, and enslaved millions. We are a nation of former-slaves, all of us. But in this land of the once-enslaved, we are kings. We will not chain you, for we are all tools of justice. But know that your duty is in our hands now. We require your prowess, and since we remain allies even now, after all that has happened, I request your alliegance." - Praetorus Gloria, Third Exaltarch of Archonnen, spoken to the elves of the vast elven districts of Exalossa.
The elves of Archonnen are numerous, but by no means a larger demographic than that of man. They might have ruled the lands once, but now their rules have been reduced to middle-class citizens. There were large tensions between the elven peoples and the Superstate, biggest reason being Empyraeos Gloria's disdain of elvenkind. He had been harsh in his rulings where he should not have been, and enforced unfair rules and regulations to the elves, forcing them into poverty. Under the championship of Praetorus Gloria, the Third to rule in Archonnen, the elves saw freedom again for the first time.
The elven city districts were opened up and they were allowed to leave their former ghettos and new elven settlements were built in the Woodlands of Archonnen's vast territories. Whilst Praetorus might have fixed the present predicament, he also doomed Archonnen into uncertainty; by limiting large territories from being harvested due to vast elven settlements being found within, the food supply of Archonnen now remains in constant uncertainty.
That being said, the Elven Settlements have become pseudo-autonomous governments and rule their own peoples and subjects independently of the Superstate, but they remain still subjects of the Exaltarch and their Archmagnate, but the city of Ulthwenën acts as a magnacy within the greater realm of Leopol.
The only demand that the Exaltarch of the time had in return for their freedom was their service in times of need. Being people of their word, the elves have maintained a battle-capable army for a century now and remain eager to march at the call of their Exaltarch should matter call for it.
Due to their long lifespans, the elven warriors and mages are casters and soldiers without many equals; cohesion being their chief skill, the elven swordsmasters can fight with unparraleled cohesion, for they have trained with their comrades for sometimes as much as centuries. Forged from their own Aewelthine Forge, otherwise known as the Deeproot Forge, the elven warriors may not been innumerous, but their prowess is unmeasurable.
Swordmasters of Ulthwenën:
The Swordsmasters are the Elven Kingdom of Ulthwenën's first line of defense; they are their infantrymen and the largest militarily contributing entity in the elven army. Clad from head-to-toe in traditional elven crafts, wielding sword and shield provided by the many elven smiths of the realm, the Swordsmasters skills are instead what make them deadly.
Whilst the quality of their equipment is second-rate, they make due with what they have, combining efficiency and cohesion with loyalty. The Swordsmasters are the first into the frey and the first to fall, they are the line and they are the defenders.
Bladelords of Ulthwenën:
Wielding massive blades crafted from within the Deeproot Forge, the Ulthwenun Greatblade is a work of peerless craftsmanship. By combining lightweight but strong metals, the Greatblade is not only light for its size, but also well balanced, making it easier to wield in close-quarters-combat.
The Bladelords are seldom heavily armoured, instead wearing leathers and cloth to ensure sleek and prestine agility and performance. Therefore their only defense against others are their weapon and their own agility and skill.
Honourbound Rangers of Ulthwenën:
Greatest archers in all of Archonnen, the Honourbound are excellent wielders of the bow, capable of launching volleys for many hundreds of meters with immense accuracy. Often wielding the best equipment the Deeproot Forge and the numerous craftsmen of Ulthwenën can supply, the Honourbound are the centerpoint of Archonnen's elven pride.
Lords of Stars:
The Lords of the Stars are the greatest of elven martial might in all of Archonnen. Employed by the High Magistrix herself, the Lords of Stars make up 78 seats of the 101 seats in the Elven Council and are often skilled through centuries of martial might. Seldom being native Archonite elves, the Lords of Stars usually find their origins in migration.
Warrior Elves that migrate across the Justinian realms and even sometimes from other religions and eventually stop by Ulthwenën. For one reason or other, the greatest of wandering warriors have settled in the illustrious elven settlement of Ulthwenën and contribute to the realm in form of maintaining and leading their armies.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
"I have suppressed my desires as long as I can remember; I play myself like a pawn, thrown around at the whims of our supposed Saviour-God. There is little to do but entertain his schemes, but in time, I will come to rule my nation as I desire it. When that time comes, Justinian and I will have our first true meeting."
The youngest Exaltarch in history to gain the title and position, Armarossa is nevertheless a highly special individual. Concieved as a love-child by his father, Empyraeos II Gloria and Ainûlindim, the former High Magistrix of Ulthwenën, Empyraeos II begged the Justinian for his Child to become the embodiment of the End; the Herald of New Beginings. The Justinian, miraculously, agreed to Empyraeos II's plans and crafted a wonderchild within the womb of the former Exaltarch's mistress.
Born in usual appearance, his coming was heralded with great joy within the nation, and the entirety of its urban peoples burst into massive celebration, a nation-wide festival which would last so long as an entire month, and would be supplied by the vast riches of Archonnen's accumulated wealths.
The silver hair of Armarossa became apparent first when he had reached his first month of life upon the materium. It had quickly become apparent that his age and rapid maturity was unlike any of which had been seen in natural elven-human children. By the age of 5, he might as well have been 15, and by the age of 15, he had already learned much of what there is to learn within the Empyrean Palace's vast libraries. His natural excellence with both weapons and arms, but magic as well, granted him massive popularity amongst the nation's vast bureacracy, but most importantly, with the people.
The people honoured the wonderchild exactly as his father would have wanted him to be, and at the age of 17, his father abdicated the role to him in a ceremony orchestrated and overseen by the Justinian itself. For the last seven years he has ruled with impressive ability, and has become an iconic figure amongst all walks of life, both inside the nation, and outside, with few rulers not knowing of whom he is and what he has become.
That being said, whilst Armarossa plays his role as Exaltarch with flawless ability and theatric excellence, his true desires have never truly been addressed and his emotions remain trapped deep within his inner conscious, sometimes to the point where he forgets about his feelings and desires entirely.
Whilst Armarossa was little, he had read many things, but amongst his favourites were the many legends of the Aemos Imperios and its decendants, the glory and the grandeur that the nation was and what it had become. Whilst this might be a subconscious link between one of the Justinian aspects linked to his consciousness, it didn't stop his fascination.
Armarossa became so entranced by the tales that he wanted to recreate them, literally rebuild the legend of old, and to experience the tale of Wolfraum himself, although naturally without the abrupt destruction of the mega-sovereignty.
Due to his condition and situation as the Exaltarch, and the scrutiny and immense surveilance he endures from the Justinian, his feelings and desires have become morphed and perverted, creating a subconscious drive, almost a necessity, to create the Aemos Imperios and to establish a new world order that can challenge even the Gods, much like how Wolfraum challenged and defeated even the Dragons of Yore.
"We owe the Gloria blood much; they freed us from their own oppressive hands, they admitted to their weaknesses and in return gave us many freedoms. Therefore we are obliged to do the same for them."
Born on the day of false stars, the elven High Magistrix has lived for many years, and is a direct descendant from former Sancthiyin Kingdoms. Due to the biologically immortal bodies and the everlasting beauty of their mortal coils, the age of Indûlondë is impossible to assume, and many elves seldom wish to discuss their age amongst others.
Child of Ainonën, the Last King, Indûlondë was forced to flee from the elven capital of Ûlmin during its last moments. Captured by the combined forces of the United Justinian Coalition 300 years ago, the elves were forced into prison-cities erected in the temporary region of Archonnen for indoctrination. The defeat at Tramontan was, however, catastrophic and halted the Justinian advance and forced the coalition into a retreat.
They settled in Archonnen and built up the region, using elven labourers in the process. It was hard work, but it was not slave's labour; the elves survived off of their hard work, but remained oppressed in all but name under the rule of the first two Exaltarchs. When Praetorus took power, one of the first decrees he laid forth was that of the Free Elves.
His critics said that he'd been charmed by their witch-like beauty, but the elves were joyous. Indûlondë was awestruck, she was certain that they'd live like labourers for the rest of their lives, but now they were promised free lands, free resources, and free lives; they would become free elves. She worked hard to repay the debt that Praetorus laid upon her and her peoples, whilst the first High Magistrix' lacked the same benevolence she had held, when she took power after Armarossa's birth, she would come to revolutionize the Free Realm of Ulthwenën many times over.
She was no hero, but her many years of living had given her insights, insights of all classes of living. She had acquired benevolence from her times as a labourer, she had been given forgiveness by Praetorus' decree, and she had been given wisdom from her studies and duties as high administrator in the elven realm.
"The Frontier is an odd place, one can never truly understand it. The Aemorosi mountains tower over our cities, stretching far above the horizons. They block out the sun, causing torrents of snowstorms to rush down from its peaks, cloaking the entire frontier in its white essence. Nevertheless, this is my realm, and under the guise of the Exaltarch, whoever they be, I shall do my duty as the vanguard."
Lord of the Frontier, sometimes known as the Winterlands, but officially known as Pinnopol. Horus Orass, amongst the oldest of human bureacrats in active employment, has ruled Pinnopol for 56 years and had close relations with both Armarossa's father, and his grandfather, both Exaltarchs.
Amongst the wisest of men found within the Superstate's vast bureacratic machine, he maintains order within the lawless realms of the Frontier and maintains the frontier's armies and protects the great city of Petrix.
Born in the Heartlands, Horus is very much an outsider in the Frontier's highly unique culture and demographics, but the people have come to love him for who he is due to his benevolence and acceptance, but also due to his sense of justice and the lenghts of which he goes to keep the Frontier as safe as possible. It is easy to feel alienated when living in the frontier, forced to wait for decades before given access to the vast golden fields and silver forests that lie beyond the tyrannic and gargantuan Millennium Walls.
Nevertheless Horus has done what he can, and has been given many boons for his service. He is considered the Supreme Commander, under the Exaltarch, and is the second-in-command of all of Archonnen's military might. That being said, it's might can only be brought to bear under the authority of the Exaltarch's direct command.
Horus is skeptical of the Exaltarchy's infamous isolationism, and desires to protect and save his brothers and sisters in the Justinian Kingdoms to the East, most notably Ouroborasia.
"There is little left to do but serve now, as we have in the past, as we will in the future. We rode with the Gloria some-300 years ago, and we will ride with them again should they call upon us. The Pax are honourbound to do so."
The House of Pax, forged from the Honour Guard of Empyraeos Gloria during the battle of Tramontan, they were granted titles for their service and they were granted one house to maintain. As such, the house of Pax are amongst the most loyal of Great Houses in Archonnen and often follow the orders of the Exaltarch blindly and without questioning.
Justice Pax is no different, whilst she may be the leader of her house, she is no true leader in reality. She is a soldier through and through, a warrior of few equals, but no leader. She commands her house like a legion, and they all respect her abilities and prowess on the battlefield, however, she is a dog to Armarossa, and sits by his side in any engagement.
She is the voice that repeats his commands so that all whom follow him hear, and she is the warrior who champions his cause in any duel. She maintains the engineering circles of the Machine Guilds under orders of her esteemed ruler, but in truth knows little of the engineering arts. Instead, she was given the duty to of supervising them for she has the uncanny ability to inspire all around her.
She may be no leader, her strategies may be flawed, but as a warrior she has the ability to inspire all around here with her determination and ceaseless endurance. All who have fought with her during her time in the Infinite Army attest for this, and her legion, the XXXII, would become to be known as the workhorses of Archonnen, and they took upon that name with pride.
"All things shall be forgotten, all evil shall be forgiven. In the Empyrean Dream, we will be reunited. Until then, we shall do our duty, and none shall be excused from their laziness, none shall be excused for their lack of faith. The maws of evil must be crushed, and therefore the most evil of all things is silence and inaction."
Luxiticanus Arboria, sometimes known as the Branded Lightbearer, is an elf but lacks their prestine beauty, instead having an absolutely hideous appearance. Walking on the border between life and death, Luxiticanus is kept alive only by the immense regenerative powers that can only be brought forth by the might of a Champion of the Only True God.
Branded for heresy during the age of the Elven Kingdoms in the West, Luxiticanus was sentenced to death via dragonfire, but at that moment, the Justinian descended, and declared him to amongst the first of Justinian Heroes. Luxiticanus survived the dragon's flames only through the direct intervention of the Justinian, but his body would forever be scarred by the encounter, never to recover, always to be on the edge of death.
As such, Luxiticanus became the First Administrator of Justinian's realms and acquired large fame not only for his appearance but also for his scholarly and religious personality.
He moved to Archonnen, once the realm had been established, and has since served as the Arch-Administrator for the Exaltarchs that would come to rule the land over the years. Now, after a century of service to Archonnen, Armarossa is his master, and Luxiticanus has become the High Preacher and Arch-Administrator of the nation.
"I am he whom lay forth the decrees of guilt and innocence, I am he whom weighs the goods and evils of each man, woman, and child. I am he whom is the first Judge of the End, and I am he whom is the servant of the Empyrean; the Judge, Jury, and Executioner. All things, status, and accomplishments are laid bare before me."
The Grand Judge of the Exaltarchy of Archonnen, Rex Eternus is amongst the mightiest of his kind. Wielding the military might and the justice necessary to carry out his duties, Rex Eternus has brought many witches to death and many criminals to their knees. Punishment in Archonnen is heavy, often deadly, and Rex Eternus is the one who spearheads this process.
As the First Judge, Rex Eternus is the most qualified individual to give Judgement to criminals in the many places of the Exaltarchy, second only to the Exaltarch. Though as the Exaltarch is most usually busy with other duties, Rex Eternus carries out Judgements when the Exaltarch cannot and when he, himself, is not tied up in other administrative matters within his own Archmagnacy.
Often known as the Book of Law, the individual that is Rex Eternus is scholarly and academic to a fault; often behaving and interacting in a manner that can be compared to speaking with a law book.
"The Exaltarch has appointed me your overseer, heads of the Grand Oratorium. I demand nothing else than your utmost in your duties, and punishments to fulfil my expectations will be severe; we are all Working Men here."
The exemplary Empyraeos Immortasus, a woman with an immense work ethic. The model individual for the Archonnen ideal of the Working Man, Empyraeos Immortasus has fought hard for her position. Having been the lastborn under the previous head of her family, she took ever stride available to her to ascend the order of inheritance, ultimately leading her to become the head of her family.
Having experience in the Great Oratorium of Archonnen, arguably the largest Oratory in the Justinian realm, she was selected for her position as Orator Ultimatum due to her background, but also her individual qualities.
Her Archmagnacy of Leopol was first met with skepticism by her subjects, seeing her as a rookie in the field, but her subjects have been pleasantly suprised by her prowess, making Leopol one of the mightiest regions in all of the Heartlands.
EXTRA INFORMATION
Full History: Archonnen's history has its founding in the Aemos Imperios, namely being the former Crownlands of the vast mega-sovereignty of Wolfraum. It was a poor land, but with the herald of Wolfraum and his conquest, the lands quickly became rich, and vast wonders were constructed in rapid succession. Slaves, labourers, and men all contributed to its creation, and many wonders remain from that time, with Exalossa being built upon the ruins of Aemon, the capital of the ancient supernation.
As the Aemos Imperios' rise was quick, but its fall even quicker, the nation was unequaled, but the Gods themselves were jealous of its power and disposed of Wolfraum after he had subjugated the Old Pantheons' enemies. The mega-sovereignty fell apart into thousands of petty kingdoms, all of which fed upon eachother, and once petrified nations spread out across the weak states like carrion birds, consuming the riches of the shattered empire.
Many centuries would pass, and many rulers would come to vy over the former nation's lands. With the heralding of the Justinian, however, things would change drastically. The former elven rulers that feasted upon the ancient knowledge and power of the Aemos Imperios were slaughtered by the revolutionary forces of the Justinian's coalition. Arrogant elves were forced to bend the knee, and those who fought against the new tide were slaughtered without mercy.
The Aemos Imperios' heartlands were reclaimed, and renamed into the temporary region of Archonnen in the typical arrogance of the first crusaders, assuming the Sacrilege War would be over in decades. With the defeat at Tramontan, the Coalition retreated at the helm of Supreme Commander Empyraeos Gloria. They rallied under his banners and established Archonnen. it would take one and a half centuries before the nation would become a power worthy of the name, however, in that time the regions once vast red pantheon enclaves were almost nullified, and all that remains are scared worshippers with nowhere left to go but into the darkness of death.
The nation of Archonnen has risen, and by 150AWH, the nation is a sizable superpower, potentially even the strongest in the world. It marched with its infinite arrogance upon the Great Taunt, as it had been erected in defiance of the End, right in the middle of the world. The great nation of Archonnen suffered catastrophic defeat, its entire bureacratic assembly wiped out in an instant. The bureacracy adapted, however, and a new Exaltarch was appointed.
The defeat humbled and angered the nation to no end, and great grudges are kept to this day against the schemes and minions of the Turqoise Deciever and his plots. The paranoia of the state is partly caused by that defeat, and the hyper-awareness that the world, and the corruption within it, are neverending.
Today the nation has remained largely silent on the international stage, keeping a strict sense of isolationism and harsh immigration and border policies. Its foreign policy is simply that of trade, with the only nation they actively engage with being Sacrosanctia. In its period of isolation, the nation has exploded into power.
Its economy is immense and its resources vast, its military revolutionized and modernized, great care being taken to mold its every aspects. The nation is driven now by an immense sense of rage and a vast desire for justice, with an Exaltarch as a leader who has ever desire to establish a New World Order under his domain.
List of Historical Grievances:
- The Turqoise Domain (TQLR/Turqoise Deciever) - The cataclysmic defeat at the Great Taunt may never be forgotten.
- The Realms of Ouroborasia (East Ouroborasia/Ouroborasian Empire) - As the children of Crusades led by Archonite nobles and warriors, Archonnen has many reasons to bring Ouroborasia under the proper wing.
Relations:
- The Divine Realms of Sacrosanctia (Sacrosanctium/The Justinian's Realms) - Relationships between Archonnen and Sacrosanctia are immense, with the nations often cooperating in matters of administration, education, law, and magic. Trade between Archonnen and Sacrosanctia are also high, with numerous trade-routes going between the two.
- The Loyalist Realms of West Ouroborasia (Loyalist Ouroborasia/The Crownprince) - Archonnen looks upon West Ouroborasia with pity, but refuses to act militarily; it ships vast amounts of resources, food, and provisions to them instead, keeping their side of the civil war alive and fighting.
- The Realms of Aberys (The Kingdom of Aberys/The Federation of Aberysian Kingdoms) - Trade between Archonnen and Aberys is possible, but highly regulated, the Superstate only allowing Pinnopol's markets to Aberysian traders. That being said, the nation is accepting of Aberysian aristocracy, since numerous of them are actually Archonite citizens due to family ties.
Cultural Notes: Archonnen is a nation of many cultures with each city having its own way of expressing itself. Due to this, the Superstate has enforced "Standardized Culture" in an attempt to unify the peoples of Archonnen even further. The Standardized Culture in question embodies many ideas of the Working Man; dutiful citizens whom perform their duties as instructed, and do their assignments on time. People who work for the sake of the Reconvergeance and people who do not disobey the Superstate, for it knows what is best for all of us. It is an ideal of sacrifice, sacrifice for the Reconvergeance, and it is enforced harshly.
The Standardized Culture is enforced by the Military and city guardsmen with ruthless efficiency, but seldom do they employ force to indoctrinate its people into the Working Man's culture. The Guardsmen instead enter the household of the person in question and discusses the wellbeing of the people, the Justinian faith, and the Working Man's ideal with the individual, before finalizing the statement with a harsh fine unless they choose to adopt the cultural norms.
If they are deemed uncompliant, the Superstate will employ violence if no other method works.
OP
Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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4 mos ago
PRINCEDOM OF NETHERYNE
Netheryne, kingdom of no one ruled by a king worth nothing. A weak nation without purpose, left only because its land is useless. It would take a miracle to make something from this land of desolate hills and intoxicated soil, but I have to admit, it takes a hardy people to survive in such a terrible place. Too bad they won't amount to anything.
Government
The Princedom of Netheryne is a corrupt and defiled nation with an equally inept system governing its hideous realms. Ruled and administered by a feudal system governed over by a despotic dynasty of Princes that divide the lands of Netheryne amongst one another, the people of the Crossroads have to endure their political squabbles and petty family feuds. The princes are, to an extent, kept in line by the Archprince of Netheryne, often called Archprince of the Rustmen by foreign emissaries, the Archprince controls the central region of Netheryne, Kyprae, and the national capital, Pyraekum.
The only way in which the Archprince not only acquires their status, but also maintains official rulership of the Princedom, is due to their power as well as dynastic roots. No prince, nor even the archprince, are wealthy enough to maintain standing armies, nor even maintain their decadent citadels commemorating ancient glories that never happened. As such, they outsource this duty to the scavanger guilds.
Scavanger guilds have no innate political power, but through their pseudo-monopoly of the rustfields, abandoned battlefields that herald as far back as thousands of years, they amount to the only real military force that the Princedom has to offer. Therefore, the Guilds protect the Princes and their interests, in return they get free reign and matter-of-fact exemption from regular law enforcement (not that the law matters anymore in Netheryne).
It is common for the Scavanger Guilds to utilize their militia in manners of force projection, here you see a rather sizable Looting Band assembled to scare the denizens of the capital beyond the Old Walls.
Grand Guild Council
I hate the Princes as much as the next lad, but they don't rule - we do! Let's keep it that way.
-Placeholder-
Kasyne Frammer, First Advisor to Sentinaelos Apothaeos, illustrating a point to several other Council Members, namely Kasandro Myrne and Mylle Marr.
Council of the Rustmen's Revolt
I will build you a new nation, Kyro.
-Placeholder-
Geography
The land of Netheryne, often referred to as the Crossroads or negatively denoted as the Rustmen's Resort, is a land of highly unique property, being the only nation in the world truly lacking any true positive quality.
Having once been a vast forest with idyllic tranquility, upon the discovery and refinement of lumbering and woodsmanship, the region eventually turned into a settlement and colony for an ancient shipfaring people. Eventually abandoned by their progenitor peoples, the newly named Netheryne region became its own sovereign state, having grown large cities for the time and constructed some of the earliest road and transportation networks in the world.
All of this came to conclude, however, in Netheryne being the absolute perfect place for armies to simply march their ways into foreign wars. As such, Netheryne became destined towards its downfall. Now, thousands of years later, the region which once had developed forestry has withered and died, and all that is left now is desolate, arid wastes and vast, flat marshlands. Lacking in any significant height differentiations, the land of Netheryne is surprisingly flat, simply aiding the atmosphere that Netheryne is dominated by; pergatory.
Located in the center of Netheryne, surrounded by what some may say is the only solid ground in the region, is Pyraekum which is the richest region in the Princedom, although the only way that manifests is through hastily and amateurly arranged rustsheds constructed by the vast scavanger guilds that dominate the city. The old city walls, surrounded by these makeshift districts of melded scraps, divide the Guilds and the people from the Archprince and his affiliates. Though it is quite apparent that all that's necessary to break the wall is but a simple gust of hard wind; thankfully for the Archprince, Netheryne recieves little exotic weather, instead being dominated by rain and excruciating humidity. The region of Netheryne recieves its unexceptional temperance and warm weather from Matatharan.
The entirety of Netheryne is dominated by equally flat, equally wet flatland. Its only unique feature, and the quality which the nation lives by and is often times referred by as well, is the immense amounts of rustic and iron toxicity. As the center between historically powerful and dominating empires and kingdoms alike, after having lost its glory in a catastrophic defeat against a now dead nation, the Princedom has been unable to recover, and has since been trampled over by every power in the area, quite literally.
Serving often as the scene of battles and the area for maneuvering used by armies, the vast graveyards and battlefields after each clash has long since been abandoned and simply left to rust in Netheryne. Due to thousands upon thousands of such battlefields dominating most of Netheryne's landscape, to the point where you could always see a rusting sword sticking out of the ground no matter where in the nation you are, it has lead to vast iron quantities and rust toxicity seeping into the ground.
Over thousands of years, this has now culminated in a land without wildlife and lacking forests, whilst farming is possible, food is so difficult to acquire that not only have the Rustmen biologically adapted, but they often result to cannibalism.
Culture
The Netheryne peoples, officially known as the Zerymon-Zarr (Children of Our Ancestors), have lived in Netheryne for millennia, being amongst some of the most ancient stationary civilizations on the continent. But this has given them no riches in culture or any fine arts to brag off, instead the Zerymon-Zarr, commonly known as the Rustmen, are unified by incredibly intense nationalism and general disdain for the outside world.
Having been neglected aid, having been trampled and bruised, it seems only naturally that as they were forced to delve further and further from the outside world and into their own, that disregard for others who are not Rustmen would run rampant. And at this stage, with hundreds of years of intrinsic and chronic cases of extreme nationalistic tendencies, it is truly a miracle that anyone listens to Sentinaelos Apothaeos at all. It has gotten to the point where, should any nation ever feel the need to send envoys or diplomatic missionaries, that they'd be met with hostility by the general populace, though the ruling class obviously will allow foreign emissaries into their halls.
Whilst Netheryne was still a beautiful country it still retained a piece of humanity even in its grave defeat, but all sense of pride and honour has gradually been scaled away from the moral compass of the Zerymon-Zarr. Cannibalism, pillage, and other atrocities are widespread beyond imagining and murder happens effectively every minute or so. With little food to go around and with massive child mortality rates, the only thing keeping the Netheryne people together is their nationalistic tendencies. They were born into the Crossroads, and their ancestors have before them, so what right would others have to devastate it as other nations have?
It is a common dream, a united dream shared by all the peoples of the Rustlands, for the Crossroads to be healed of its millennia-old sickness and restored to the beautiful and bountiful forest that it once had been. This belief is so ingrained in the society to the point of fanaticism, with entire months spent celebrating the idea. These celebrations are coupled with mostly social festivities, but cannibalism and feasts of that kind are commonly performed.
Lacking any definite religious unity like that of their nationalism, the people of Netheryne were once spiritual, but even that did not give them any salvation. After centuries of fanatical faith, the Rustmen have instead realized that either no God exists, or that any God that does exist is of no use for them. As such, nationalism has instead taken center-stage, for if there is no God, then there is a nation.
A rising movement, however, is the Deusence Cult. Sheperded by the Hierophant Magnifix, this religious cult believes that the newly arrived Sentinaelos Apothaeos is the herald of a new world, effectively giving Apothaeos the same worth and sacreligious status as that of the Prophetess. The Deusence Cult operates in the shadows, lacking any definitive international holding, but it has sects spread across the northern continent. Sentinaelos, whilst officially ignoring the sect completely, is actually its leader.
Hierophant Magnifix Cephaeron, flanked by the High Council of the Court of Divinity.
Court of Divinity
To ensure the future of our nation- no, the world- we must ensure that the people know of the truth; Sentinaelos Apothaeos is the Son of God and the architect of our future.
-Placeholder-
Military
How do your people fight? What strategies and tactics do they usually employ? What sort of equipment do your troops use? What’s the emphasis of your military? Try to be somewhat unique here. If a pre-existing country makes heavy use of heavy infantry and shield walls, for instance, don’t do the same yourself. I am not interested in numbers or percentages, so don’t use them.
Heroes
Each country gets one superior hero and three normal heroes. In terms of combat strength expect a superior hero to be on par with about 150 men and normal heroes to be on par with 100 men. (Yes, this is the only place in the sheet where there are actually numbers) Basically these are the badasses of your country that you can use for point of view characters if you want. At absolute bare minimum you need a name and one line description of what your hero is good at; however, ideally this should be the largest section of your sheet. You can use any explanation you want for why your heroes are stronger than normal people. For example using magic, being blessed by a divine entity, or simply being very skilled with their weapons. Also keep in mind that if a hero dies you can replace him or her with a new one.
History
A brief history of your country is fine, so long as you cover the last 20 or so years. I’m looking for more of a summary of important events than list of dead monarchs.
Relations
How does your country interact with its neighbors. I am not looking for a list of exports and imports, but feel free to add them if you want. At bare minimum I want a listed rival here, another country that yours viewed as an enemy and actively worked against during the past twenty or so years.
Characters
Optional section. Put any info about any characters here. Examples of this would be your kings or queens, military leaders, and non-hero “badasses”. You can also put more detailed info of your heroes here as well.
OP
Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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Seen
4 mos ago
EXPANDING HORIZONS
Character Sheet
Autarch Supreme of the Dominion of Entur
There is no nation, kingdom, nor empire, that will stand in my path. All will bow, all will kneel, and no king, emperor, or president, shall escape me. All shall belong to Entur; all shall belong to ME.
INFLUENCE
5 (Global); Khaar wields incredible power. As the founder of the Dominion of Entur and as its supreme sovereign, his abilities go beyond question. Wielding the full might of the entire Dominion's military at his whim, Khaar also wields exceptional destructive powers of his own. Due to his metallic carapace and his incredible skill in combat, he donns the moniker of War Machine. As such, he is capable of domainting any global environment, be it through his influence or through his direct intervention. His power has, however, lead to hubris on numerous an occation, leading to defeats and silly decisions that otherwise would've been easy to redeem. His hunger for power goes without saying, and is often derogatorily referred to as the Emperor of Greed by those who talk behind his back. All becomes silent, however, when in his presence, few daring to voice their remarks to his ears directly.
GROUP
The Dominion of Entur (awaiting approval).
DESCRIPTION
Beyond his metal skin lies the body of a Haturite; a species of alien long since destroyed by simple matters of famine and cosmic destruction. As the last of his kind, he wields the title of Hatur Tubyr; the last of the Hatur, with great pride, and seeks to redeem his peoples and their dream of dominion through his acts in this life. However, he did not go without strife of his own, and during the downfall of his peoples, he himself retained cataclysmic damage.
Now entombed within his metallic carapace, in fear of his body quite simply just melting apart due to his unique bodily chemistry, he now lives and donns the life of a machine and tool for domination. His mask, however, capable of parting its protective shields and showing the face of the Absolute Ruler, would reveal a strange and ominous glare from a being not similar to any other lifeform, severely lacking in empathetic forms of morality.
Height: 8'2'', 254 cm (in armour); lacking definitive form (without armour).
Weight: 1594lbs, 723 kg (in armour); 12lbs, 5.5 kg (without armour).
Age: 101 years, 6 months.
POWERS
( #5 - Global ) Cosmic Manifestation: Khaar Hatur Tubyr, Autarch Supreme of the Dominion of Entur, wields massive power. His foremost and most universal skill being Cosmic Manifestation; the ability to construct light, darkness, and other cosmic forces in his surrounding. This skill could manifest itself in any form of a laser to a speck of dust accelerated to supersonic speeds following the mimicry of meteors and other space debris. Through Cosmic Manifestation he is also able to envoke other, more powerful aspects, but those are regarded as seperate abilities altogether.
( #5 - Global ) Stellar Construction: The Absolue Ruler, in his awe and glory, is capable of summoning the powers of the stars themselves to his beckon in miniaturized form. In this sense, he is capable of eveloping himself in a stellar shield for short periods of time (due to the heat) and construct black holes within his palms. All of these powers do not exclude the natural forces of which all of these objects entail, each and every one of his abilities affecting gravity, and similar forces indirectly.
( #5 - Global ) The Engine of Domination: As the last of the Hatur, and possibly the only individual capable of doing what he desires, the enormous ambition and the necessary dedication it entails absorbs Khaars very being, turning him into a single-minded, self-centered, and extremely stubborn Warlord of unequalled parrallel. His ambition is, in fact, so significant, and so pronounced, that it, in fact, empowers him through unholy sorceries, being able to briefly copy opponents' abilities and use them against his opposition, tossing their power aside, leading him to have to capture it once more.
ITEMS
Include this section if your character has any unique or significant items. If not, omit it.
( influence # ) Item 1 Name -- item 1 description. Items are optional, but if you have any, include influence #, name, and description.
BACKGROUND
Tell us about your character's past, goals, or anything else you feel we should know about them.
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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EXPANDING HORIZONS
Character Sheet
Name:
Title:
Influence: 5 (Global); The extent to which your character influences their environment. Refer to the Influence System below.
Group(s): Any approved groups your character is a member of.
Description: Tell us about your character's appearance or personality. This may may include any or all of the fields below.
Height:
Weight:
Age:
Race/Species:
Appearance:
Personality:
Abilities, Talents, Traits, Powers: Include this section if your character has any unique or significant abilities, talents, traits, or powers. If not, omit it.
( influence # ) Ability 1 Name -- ability 1 description. Abilities are optional, but if you have any, include the influence #, name, and description.
Items: Include this section if your character has any unique or significant items. If not, omit it.
( influence # ) Item 1 Name -- item 1 description. Items are optional, but if you have any, include influence #, name, and description.
Background: Tell us about your character's past, goals, or anything else you feel we should know about them.
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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The EMPIRE UNION
"Peace, Freedom, and Authority - Together they stand, as we do, to never fall again"
Territory
The territories of the Empire Union stretch quite far, and do so through not only diplomatic ingenuity, but also through venture and exploration. The Empire Union has an avid interest in expanding through diplomatic measure, and do so due to the shaky grounds on which it was founded. Thus, for every venture gained, strife arises elsewhere within the Empire Union's domain. Whilst it has solid grasp around its core territories (those of Norfolk, Baltimore, New York, Albany, and Providence), its efforts are often thwarted by uncooperativeness and hostilities with smaller settlements within its realm.
History
Population
The realm of the Empire Union extend over vast population centers, even though once decimated by the collapse of older times, they still survive, and give rise to a large populace, albeit a rather uncoordinated bunch, of 850000 peoples. A quarter of those live within the core Empire, whilst the rest reside in harshly regulated and legally bankrupt landscapes alike. Due to this, the people of the Empire are divded harshly, waiting for a moment to make something off of their displeasure - the Empire Union, however, sees this as a perfect chance to unite the peoples against something greater than themselves, and use this to further the reaches of the Empire Union further across the wastelands.
Large swathes of the populace are divided between Ghouls and Humans, whilst smaller minority races are also present to greater and lesser extent, with representatives found within the capital of each respective settlement. Each colony, and each settlement, as well as each city, is greatly accounted for, and statistics are in constant change as the Empire Union has massive interest in keeping the bureacratic roots of the older times, and the record keeping that came with it, alive and well.
Government/Domestic Politics
Notable People
Military
Economy
Culture and Technology
Religion
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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COUNTRY NAME
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Government
In short how is your country run? How is your ruler selected? How much power does your ruler have. Is it a monarchy, a republic, or something else? What is the ruling dynasty? I don’t want to see five paragraphs here about how your monarch has to go through parliament to select viceroys or something. It needs only be long enough to provide a sufficient summary of your government. Feel free to add additional info under a hider if you feel compelled to.
Geography
This should be more just a claim of your location. Talk about the climate, terrain, and important locations in your country. Specifically mention major cities and your capital. Bonus points if you have an internal map that includes highways.
Culture
Much like the government section, don’t drown us in details, though feel free to add more info under a hider or something. Is your country culturally homogenous or a mixture of ethnicities? Are your people humans or some other race? If you have various ethnicities, how do they interact with each other? What are your people’s values? Bonus points for adding insults they use to refer to the people from countries they have been at war with. A note about nonhuman races: do not simply make them arbitrarily superior to humans, if they are better than humans in one way then they will be inferior in another way.
Military
How do your people fight? What strategies and tactics do they usually employ? What sort of equipment do your troops use? What’s the emphasis of your military? Try to be somewhat unique here. If a pre-existing country makes heavy use of heavy infantry and shield walls, for instance, don’t do the same yourself. I am not interested in numbers or percentages, so don’t use them.
Heroes
Each country gets one superior hero and three normal heroes. In terms of combat strength expect a superior hero to be on par with about 150 men and normal heroes to be on par with 100 men. (Yes, this is the only place in the sheet where there are actually numbers) Basically these are the badasses of your country that you can use for point of view characters if you want. At absolute bare minimum you need a name and one line description of what your hero is good at; however, ideally this should be the largest section of your sheet. You can use any explanation you want for why your heroes are stronger than normal people. For example using magic, being blessed by a divine entity, or simply being very skilled with their weapons. Also keep in mind that if a hero dies you can replace him or her with a new one.
History
A brief history of your country is fine, so long as you cover the last 20 or so years. I’m looking for more of a summary of important events than list of dead monarchs.
Relations
How does your country interact with its neighbors. I am not looking for a list of exports and imports, but feel free to add them if you want. At bare minimum I want a listed rival here, another country that yours viewed as an enemy and actively worked against during the past twenty or so years.
Characters
Optional section. Put any info about any characters here. Examples of this would be your kings or queens, military leaders, and non-hero “badasses”. You can also put more detailed info of your heroes here as well.
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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County of Zhaochen
Geography and people:
|Geographical Location of CLIQUE:| The county of Zhaochen lies within Zhendao region, encompassing a territory tretched over three major cities and several villages, and minor outposts.
|Cities:| Zhaolao, Xi'yan, and Caoroi lie within Zhaochen borders. Several villages, and minor cities, dot the landscape, but these three cities are the only influence on which the Count of Zhaochen may barter influence in the faction (outside of performance).
Your Warlord:
|Name:| Jacob Hecke
|Title:| Advisor-General
|Age:| 41
|Ethnicity:| Geisel
|Personal Ideology:| Democratic Authoritarianism
|Influence in the faction:| 9%
|Personality:| Stern yet humoristic. Cold, yet somehow warm at the touch of sensitivity. Jacob is a foreigner, isolated by virtue of his birth, not only in Zengrav, but also in his homeland due to the consequences of his retreat from the Reich. Having found himself wanted, his sense of caution is crumbling, yet his risk-taking demeanour never seems to fade. Smart and reputable amongst those who know his skills, Jacob has proven capable of running the county of Zhaochen, even if only behind the curtains. His military accomplishments have granted him at least a little credit, and he makes it known in his own way. Shame that due to his foreign birth, most of the credit falls at the feet of others.
|His/Her Virtue:| Skilled militarist. Jacob grew up in the Reich, and graduated through the rigorous military academy with reliable honours. Honours of which mean nothing here, but his skills are still noteworthy on the field of battle.
|His/Her Virtue:| Problem-solver. Puzzles, chess, and more local games; all of which Jacob finds interesting. Given little time, he finds the routine, and beats the game. But in the mind of Jacob, why can only games be games? Surely, reality is its own game to be mastered, as is the battlefield.
|His/Her Sin:| Excruciating pain. Born with an uncommon genetic disease before thought too remote for Geisel Reich to worry about, Jacob was forced to amputate his right leg and left foot in order to ensure a relatively longer life. Forced to walk with cane and pump medicine for the rest of his life, Jacob must cope. However, the bad news do not yet end there, for his lifespan is shortened by virtue of his condition, and he lives life in a similar manner.
|History and Background:|
The title of the county of Zhaochen was initially granted upon the first wielder as a titular honour, lacking material weight. It was a title forced upon political prisoners of high esteem to at least try and appease foreign enemies of peaceful negotiations. When Zengrav underwent the first reorganization, upon the creation of the region of Zhendao, the county of Zhaochen was organized under it in a material manner for the first time in history.
Now, hundreds of years later, the aristocratic dynasty of Ye has managed to lie claim to the territory for several centuries of history. During the rise of the Ye Dynasty, it held dominion over much of the Zhendao region, and even some territory in regional neighbourhoods. But the dynasty suffered when its paternal head died suddenly in the middle of an inheritance scandal, leaving the original family with little left but their ancestral claim on the Zhaochen area.
Whilst individually more powerful than its neighbours in the sense that it holds claim over three sizable cities, the family of Ye has suffered great shame at the head of families now lost to time.
Trying to make their own history in the light of this new era, the Ye family allied itself to the Royalists out of little reason but to maintain their societal status and political importance in the face of newer, more foreign governments. To ensure safety, they hired not only foreign advisors, but also mercenaries to maintain their borders. Best of which, Jacob Hecke, who has now become the pillar on which the faction stands.
|Armed Forces:|
Most of Zhaochen's power comes from their economy, one of which is relatively stronger when compared to its neighbours. But under Jacob Hecke's influence, several revolutionary methods of maintaining military and formation cohesion have been made to ensure Zhaochen's economy may remain a source of future political influence. Through use of mass-levies, eco-militaristic policies, and military culture, the armies of Zhaochen are comparatively adept at their task.
Whilst most soldiers are levies in any given military formation, actual 'levies' are denoted by their green eyes for warfare. Inexperienced in the matters of life and death in the fields of gruesome slaughter, they rely on stronger, more experienced eyes for guidance. Equipped by the state only during their first campaign, their forced to either adapt or perish.
Skilled in the arts of war through matters of experience, regulars have been through the deeds of war through and through several times over. Veterans of the battlefield, they have managed to accrue themselves either fame or fortune, allowing them to either barter or outright purchase their way to better arms and armour. Often times skilled at teamwork, or simply experiencing the matters of war with the same group of people over and over, a regular is a capable combatant both in formation warfare and close quarters chaos.
Personal bannermen, permanently employed by the governing family of Ye to maintain guard around the region and to ensure that safety and peace reigns within. Their duties have, over the passing of time, become those more commonly entrusted by an offensive military force. Capable of striking with great ferocity, and retreating with unquestionable haste in times of need, the Personal Guard, or Household Guard, have become a ferocious force to oppose.
The final favour Jacob Hecke made before closing all relation or communication with his now distant home was that of a friendly agreement. But in these times, an agreement between friends can become an agreement worth its weight in flesh and blood. The Volunteer Guard is comprised of a political movement of which Jacob Hecke and his friend, co-founder Kristof Heisenrüddel, organized during their time in the Geisel Reich Military Academy. Built on the backs of officers, soldiers, and elite fighters, they all ventured on with Jacob after Kristof and him broke up the group. Through donations made by their individual families, small and big, the volunteer guard has become the most elite form of military unit that the County may utilize, comprising a total of 1200 soldiers equipped with arms and armour otherwise foreign to the royal court and its arsenals save for their very best.
|Their finest hour:|
Here came the fools of yore, and so too shall future's fools come before us. Behold now, as the earth rips apart, and as the skies come crashing down. Bear now, the fate of fools, for nations come rushing on, and so too shall they succumb.
The battle had raged on for four weeks, neither side seeing much gain in their attempts to wrestle victory from the hands of the other. However, it was first with the arrival of Jacob Hecke, advisor-general from Zhaochen further beyond the horizon northwards. In his entourage he had brought reinforcements, but he was not the only one. The enemy, the reds, had brought along fodder of their own, but this time Jacob would spend no time prodding the enemy's weaknesses with expendables.
In his shadow he had brought along the best. His own men and women, soldiers of which he could rely on to carry the day and bring the flag of Zhaochen on the opposing side.
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With a quick limp, and a sudden twitch of his left arm, Jacob brought himself stumbling down the steep rockface. He endured the pain, he was used to it to some degree, to ensure he would get the best view of his soldiers crushing the spineless reds and bringing their advances to a halt.He had already issued the plans, and made the arrangements. All that was left now, was to observe as his soldiers came back home victorious.
He seated himself along a suitably shaped rock, falling down on it with a thud, groaning slightly as he could feel the friction echoing his entire body. At his flank was his communications operative, a Minga woman with an 'uppity' perplexion to the frontlines.
He shouted out, in his broken and frankly miserable interpretation of the Zengravi language. The woman jolted at his speech, gleering at him in a somewhat insulted manner, before being caught off-guard by the sudden roaring of the volunteer guard's machine guns blaring off at the enemy trenches. "Come over here," Jacob said, waving over to his side, "I could use some company."
"I'd rather stay here!" She shouted at him, adamant on their distance. It would seem even the Zengravi royalist xenophobia wasn't exclusive to the regal-class. Everywhere he went, he was shunned, if not for his cane, then for his accent, or his demeanour. It was tiring, so he retorted, "I'm not particularly dangerous... C'mere, it's safe."
The woman was unsure of how to respond, the man in to his side was behaving in a rather unusual manner, especially for someone sitting at the edge of the battlefield, surrounded by friend and foe alike. Her uncertainty was apparent, so Jacob raised his voice again. "Don't worry, the Black have this entire mountain secured. Can't be more than fifty meters between us an the closest lookout." She moved closer, taking a homely seat at a rock adjacent to Jacobs.
The two of them looked across the battlefield. It was a mess, ramshackled trenches, improvised firing lines, and disorderly formations and hierarchy. The weeks of fighting had made its presence known, with hundreds of craters, mud, and corpses littering the battlefields two fronts. There was an anomaly, however. A formation of soldiers rushing towards the red lines from black trenches. They avoided every obstacle, even rushed straight through some, and came crashing down on their opponents who had been rushing a frantic defensive effort to hold them off.
To the Reds' dismay, the enemies they had opposed were those of the volunteer guard. Armed enough to ram straight through most gunfire without much worry, the hammer had met its anvil, and the Red trenches had been pierced.
Distant gunfire and audible screaming had made that fact known, not only to Jacob and his communications officer, but also to the enemy and the allied fronts. At the back of the Volunteer charge, the rest of the royalist forces came rushing, charging at the opposing trenches with reinvigoured perseverence. Their screams inspired those next to them, and soon, the entire army was charging at their enemies. Where those who faced troubles failed, their neighbours charged in, and thus they fed the failed charge with their own success, breeding further progress.
Before the day was done, the operation, operation thunderstrike, had become a massive success, gaining large swathes of territory in the region, and proving a good method for the accumulation of prisoners and other fugitives. The conflict was over before the sun had reached midday, taking a total of four hours to reach its completion.
Whilst the efforts of Jacob Hecke had been recognized in the personal construction of the stratagem in question, most of his glory was stolen from him by Minga officials and generals.
|Their darkest hour:|
"You are an idiot!"
"You'd have thought I'd have taught you at least something in my endless hours spent teaching you everything from ethics to local politics and social hierarchy!
"These are things that you should know, not me! Why can't you just accept the things that I endlessly keep beating into your head without any sense of understanding..."
The Count sat quiet before his assemblage of government officials and generals. The foreigner kept on the barrage, his ceaseless insults cutting deep wounds in the mind of the Count of Zhaochen. However, suddenly, the psychological assault stopped just as the throne room gates burst open with a loud bang.
The man before him, who had shouted his lungs into disrepair, was Jacob Hecke. However, the newly arrived had not been such a familiar sight. In fact, it was someone new entirely.
The man quickly halted, raising his head to his majesty, the Count.
"Your Grace, under authority of the Heavenly Emperor, your fiefs Quayan and Quayao will be confiscated as reparation for your acts during the Southern Conflict against the forces of the Blue-Shirt movement. The Heavenly Emperor hopes you will accept this humble punishment and better your efforts in upcoming campaigns!"
The man put a truly massive scroll, in accordance with traditional legal and judicial customs on this national scale, and turned around, before equally suddenly walking out with rapid, frisk steps.
Jacob and everyone else in the assembly were stunned.
Before long, screams and accusations were thrown from every which way at the foreigner who had come promising success and progress for the Ye family.
Jacob was distraught, he had thought he had left the Southern Front a victor, having vanquished not only the reds, but also the blues, during his latest expedition.
What was beyond his sight, however, was that with the vacation of his forces from the black-blue frontline, a vacuum too big to fill had been created, and the blues took advantage of it to the best of their ability.
|Other Important People inside the Clique:|
- Count Yan Ye of Zhaochen.
- Baron Xi Ye of Zhaolao.
- Baron Ye Ye of Xi'yan.
- Baron Cao Ye of Caoroi.
(more to come)
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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EMPIRE OF HUMANITY
"Never before has humanity stood as it stands today; every step along the road is a new record, every new discovery is a discovery never-before-seen by the eyes of humanity, and every new encounter is one that happens for the first time in human history! We mighty few, proud people of the stars, are destined for great things!" - Leo Charles Anglian XXXVII, Emperor of a United Humanity
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CULTURAL OVERVIEW -
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GOVERNMENTAL OVERVIEW -
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1. Cesserine, Grand Capital of the Empire. A metropolitan location without equal throughout all the empire, Cesserine is not only the center for finance, but also judicial and legislative authorities. Home to humanity, it is the most inhabited location in the sector, maybe even the galaxy... Who knows? Due to the massivity of Cesserine, population census are questionable, sometimes even off by several million, or even a few billion.
2. Eden, the Capital of Odyne. Second most impressive planet in the empire, it it second only to Cesserine. A direct mimicry in almost all aspects to the original, Eden was the first colony established after the reorganization during the age of discovery. After initially establishing the core region, Eden became the first truly independent settlement in human history, eventually growing so great that it formed the region of Odyne on its own.
3. Leopoldsberg, the Capital of Leopold-Heischwein. The Domina Twins, two almost identically similar planets circling the star of Domina, a bright star with a furious temper. Last to be established amongst the regions, the city-planets of Leopoldsberg and Teütenberg are marvels of technological accomplishments performed by the fathers of humanity's forefathers. Equipped with ferociously powerful radiation shields to defend them against the enraged solar storms. Due to their prime location at the center of the stellar region, it is a massive trade hub and also acts as the primary supply-line into many of New Luminelbergs' fortification-zones.
4. Caemare, the Capital of Luminaire. Acting as the direct line between Leopoldsberg, and therefore Cesserine, and the frontier, Caemare is tremendously important for security purposes. As such, it has transformed into the drydock of the United Expeditionary Armada which often acts in Protectorate space once local garrisons may recieve issues with either public order or worst-case scenario, an invasion or mass outbreak. The orbiting drydock, Sigismund Space Station, is the second largest stellar construct ever constructed by humanity's hands, second only to the Imperia Regalia Supradicta; home to the Emperor and the Grand United Defense Armada, as well as the Joint-Branch Military High Command.
5. New Luminelberg, Foremost amongst the Protectorates. Most exceptional of the more recently colonized protectorate regions, New Luminelberg is a prosperous nation under the absolute authority of the Empire of Humanity that spawned it. Created in the process of the grand expansion of the second era of discovery, New Luminelberg is the largest and strongest of the protectorates, having established a vast industrial complex, cultural heritage, and social order almost completely independent of its suzerain, the greater nation of the Empire of Humanity.
6. New Cessarine, Last amongst the Protectorates. The black sheep of the protectorates, a void region lacking not only valuable rare minerals, but also is bereft of ideal colonization candidates. As such, the settlements are not only fewer and farther between than anywhere else in the empire, but also less successful as a result. Due to its unsustainability and dependence on its suzerain-state, it is forced to submit all authority under national martial law throughout all of New Cessarine, which means that Imperial Defense fleets effectively rule the region under absolute authority. This has lead to Neo-Cessarines adopting a highly rebellious and anti-authoritarian view, although ironically the Empire of Humanity is a surprisingly democratic apparatus.
7. New Thyne, Second amongst the Protectorates. A highly unremarkable place, independent and self-serving, the ideal subject for the Empire. It lives in extreme mediocrity, unable to perform to the standards of its sibling-nation of New Luminelberg, and permanently better than the black sheep of New Cessarine. Home, however, to some of the most exceptional alien wildlife, a rarer find than one'd suspect. Usually wildlife and xenobiology is handcrafted by gene-splicing and bioengineering when settling a new planet, but the region of New Thyne was surprisingly hospitable, apparently, for alien wildlife. As such, New Thyne thrives on booming tourism, often seeing the presence of the Emperor and his Imperial family more than a few times per standardized year.
8. The Imperia Regalia Supradicta, Citadel of Humankind. As aforementioned, the Imperia Regalia Supradicta is a citadel without equal in the entirety of human history. Built out of the ruins of a naturally destroyed planet through means of cosmic collision, an imposing fortress grandiosely fitted with golden-coloured metals and whatever-other regal colours imaginable to produce a jewel before unseen by human eyes. It is said that the Imperia Regalia Supradicta is so beautiful that, when it was first revealed to the public, it inspired awe in all who watched the public broadcast. Capable of maintaining the combined fleet of humanity's entire defensive armada (although it has never actually occured), it acts as the central station and organizational organ for which most of the Empire's life depends upon. Most certainly the most important part in the entirety of the vast nation. Whilst the Imperia Regalia Supradicta is technically not inside of core imperial territory, legally, anywhere that the Imperial Family visists is directly under their immediate authority.
9. Superba, Factory of the Empire. Whilst no one planet is responsible for the truly awesome production capacity of any one stellar nation, be it the empire, or a yet undiscovered alien nation, but Superba, the planet of invention, truly challenges that statement. Whilst it is a fact that no more than 25% of global production across the entire empire is produced by Superba, that is still a highly impressive 25%. No one truly knows how Superba became as powerful an existence as it is today, but it is a fact that it is aware of its power and therefore authority. Superba often acts in its own interests, even if it means direct offending the Emperor in the process.
TECHNOLOGICAL OVERVIEW -
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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EISENREICH
The Rhûnic Reich of Eisen"Ye Sons of Rhûn shan't ever despair, face darkness with unceasing faith and prevail"
=-=General Information=-=
- The Realm of Iron and Blood lies bedded along the coast of the Eastern sea in the north-central realms, with coastlines on the eastern-most quadrant of the Great Salt Lake.
- It is predominantly a human realm with several racial minorities, ones of which face great hardships.
- The Blood of the Eisenfolk runs red with faith, and they are a crusading people with a nomadic past.
- To spill the blood of the Eisenfolk is just only if done in faith, as such they are an incredibly zealous folk with little acceptance of foreign religions.
- The government of the Eisenreich is one of feudal ties, but it governs several tributary states enacted and created through religious conquest. The people of Eisen refer to their grand nation as a crusader state.
- The people of the Eisenreich are members of the Rhûnic cultural group, a nomadic people from the south who wandered after the passing of their former homelands at the hands of "otherwordly" invaders.
- The People of the River Eisen are known as the Eisenfolk, and adopt the religion of the Blood and Iron Church, where they worship the Father of the Eisen, Rhûn, the lord of Metals and Blood, Great Craftsman of the Abyss.
- The people of the Eisen speak in akrabrüd, an old language originating in the Southern-most parts of the continent. They adopt a runic writing known as büdabad, a fascinating written language of symbols.
- The population of the forest realms and vast flatlands of the Eisenreich have been severely diminished from their past splendor, with ruins of great civilizations encompassing its vast stretches of land. This is due to the war of which the Eisenreich bedded its history upon during their exodus up north.
- It houses a population of 7,560,000 individuals, many of which are of the Rhünic culture.
- The Hordes, or Armies, of the Reich amount to a considerable 470,000.
The Greater-Magic of Rhûn wielded on the battlefield. The Sword, a Symbol of Rhûn, is prevalent throughout the entire Eisenreich, with palaces and bastions formed and built in its image.Miesenfrylk (Eisenfolk - Human)
The people of the Eisen, descendents of the great people of Myornabralk, the Sons of the Belt, a people of the Southern Deserts. They were forced to flee at the behest of vast armies and legions spawned in hellish lands in the south. Whether their ancient enemy be exterminated or prevalent still, the people of the Eisen have no idea, but they fled during the great exodus to the river Eisen, a mighty powerful torrent of waters originating at the foot of the Miesentûrm, the Tower of Iron, the mountain of which now lies upon their Southern border. They made their home here, through war and conquest waged in desperation against the great kingdom of Tyric, now long since devastated. The father of the river, impressed by these visitors' power and ability, placed his faith in their hands, and such their contract with Rhûn, the father of the Eisenreich, was created. Since then, the people of the Eisen have seen grand campaigns and golden ages, as well as troubled times of foreign invasions. They have pulled through it all, however, and now stand at the apex of their power, dwarfing even the splendor of their former Southern ancestry.
Tyrelbralke (Sons of the Tyric - Human)
A diminished and hated folk within the Eisenreich, these are the ancestors of the former kingdom of the Eisen, the Tyric Kingdom. The Tyric Kingdom, meaning the Kingdom of Lords, was a nation of unrivaled wealth and power during ages past, they now face extinction at the hands of the brutal men of the Iron and Blood Church for their connection with the past, and their heretical abomination of a religion known as the Faith of the Lords, or Tyraenakrog. Forced to flee into the vast wooden realms of the Eisenreich's northern most territories, they now live a limited life with little attachment to their past wealth or authority.
Aelfenkrynbralkefrolk (The Half-Elf people of the Great Village - Human)
In the eyes of the Eisenfolk, the Half-Elf are a sight of oddities, for they claim descent from the Aelfs of the North yet show no sign of their heraldry. The sight of the elves in the eyes of the Eisenfolk is a hated icon, but the Eisenfolk can barely bring themselves to hate the charismatic and fair people of the Half-Elfs who live in their Northern Protectorates, for they were subjects of the elves, and claim their descent, but are entirely human. They hold a clueless written language of many secrets, one of which remains undescipherable by the greatest of the Scholars of the Eisenfolk and others alike. During the Second Crusade against the Aelfs the Half-Elfs of the Great Village of Uthwënet became subjects of the Eisenreich at the culmination of the righteous conquest. Since then they have faced a new life, one of which is predominated by increasing urbanisation and opportunities to make a fair living otherwise alien to their elitist rulers of times past.
Uthermarcfrylke (Utherfolk - Human)
The people of the Uthermarc are a powerful ally at the behest of the Eisenreich. Annexed into the greater realm during the third northern crusade, they adopted well to the culture and languages of the Eisenreich, gaining favour at the hands of the Eisenreich elite. Allowed self-rule at the helm of their Eisenfolk Crusader-Governor. The people of the Uthermarc, the underplain, is a marshland of unparalleled ferocity and difficulty, home to mighty beasts and ravaging weather. The Utherfolk are a barbarian kind with little former care placed in who their territory belonged to so long as their culture could live on. With great importance placed upon beastslaying and "true utherhood", the mark of a true Utherman. Since the dawn of the Eisenreich however, they placed more care into the vaster political landscape of the world, and have since become a far more political identity in combination to their traditionalist approach.
Kragmarcbralke (Sons of the Kraag - Human)
The plain of the Kraag was a great realm ruled by a powerful people of sorcerors conquered by the unrelenting ferocity and zeal of the Eisenfolk. With their Mage-Kings now cast into oblivion, the people face a crisis of identity, with their past unity formerly placed only by their true sovereigns. The Domain of Kraag had once ruled over vast lands and a great many peoples, but now they are subjugated and disciplined by the men and women of Iron and Blood.
Aelfwenfrylke (Elvenfolk - Elves)
A hated enemy of the Eisenfolk ever since their conquest of the Tyric Kingdom, the elitist realms of their northern border have long since faced ruination at the hands of the greatest of warriors shepherded by past kings. Now they face alienation and repression unthinkable during the ages of their most splendid of eras. Put to the blade by the ruthless doctrines of the Eisenreich elite, extermination seems all but inevitable. In their despiration, they contacted the remnants of the Tyric peoples and entered a desperate contract with their leaders. Now they operate together in opposition to the vastly more powerful state of the Eisenreich in hopes for freedom and independence. Their dream seem all but distant however.
Landtaelfwer (Urban Elves - Elves)
During the conquest of the elves, there were those who faced adversity through resistance, and those who submitted to their indomitable new masters. These elves are the latter, and during that time they faced a cultural schism unrepairable in todays climate. Alien to all realms but their own, they now live in secluded districts of the cities of the Eisenreich, predominantly the capital, and make their living through both dignity and despairing work alike.
Halfmannefrylke (Half-men - Dwarves)
An industrious and stubborn bunch, a typical characteristic of dwarven identity. They belonged once to the greater dwarven realm of the North Mountains, but had been forced into exile for their unworthy behaviour by their northern siblings. Ironically facing more prosperity than their northern counterparts since their exile, the Half-men have created great industry and prosperity for the nation of Iron and Blood due to their compatability with the strange culture of the Eisenfolk.
The First Crusaders, marching towards the Tyric Kingdom, and towards the river Eisen in hopes of a new home.Prehistory -
Long before there were nations, cities, and even less empires, humans were born from whatever cavernous crawl they deemed themselves as home. During these dangerous times entire tribes and clans often found themselves at the door of death, facing extinction. However one tribe in particular, the Äka, were able to survive in their fights against rival tribes and foreign peoples and races. They built themselves their legend, a legend of a mighty people, and their great king Äka, namesake of their peoples.
However even with their victories they always faced ruin but mere steps ahead, for the great deserts of the south were home to little provisions and supplies, especially during these times. They hoarded themselves around the divine trees in face of this danger, and faced unceasing prosperity. However, unwilling to share this gift with others, rivalries began to form. Especially with the people of Kübäkhaan. This rivalry soon manifested into the everlasting bloodshed, with the two clans ceaselessly facing eachother in combat for sole dominion over the divine trees.
Legends -
The archrivalry of the Äka and the Kübäkhaan would lead to thousands of deaths at the foot of the divine trees of the past era, being one of the first peoples to wage war in the entire world. These wars were nothing alike to the conquest of the modern era, however, for they were savage and brutish. Bestial and unchivalrous, lacking in appetite or finess, with 'swordmasters' using wooden clubs and 'knights' wielding the mighty weapon of the stone.
This past era however came to define the future usage of words, their meanings, and the cultural foundations of the descendents of the Äka, the Eisenfolk, however their story lies yet in the future. The war between the Äka and the Kübäkhaan led to victory under the visage of the King of Äka, Aka himself. Whether he lived for thousands of years, or his descendents bore the same name is one of several mysteries belonging solely to the past, however through his victories, Äka stood dominant amidst the divine trees, the people of Kübäkhaan exterminated in absolute ruthlessness whose purpose had been forgotten over centuries of bloodshed.
With this gift of the trees the Äka prospered, built settlements out of the hardened sands, creating tradition and worship surrounding the divine trees, and living off of their seemingly endless bounty. This age of joy would soon end, however, for in the greed of humanity and the Äka, would see the divine trees felled and great cities erected in their place. These cities faced initial prosperity, but would soon have to be abandoned for a life of a nomadic people as their food supplies from the trees ran thin. They fled their great cities and sought oasis after oasis in hope of survival. They remained firm in their ways and survived through sheer force of will along with their physique and well-adapted bodies.
The cities of which they abandoned however, saw new vistors, the long-thought dead descendents of the mighty Kübäkhaan made their home and brought with them strange knowledge of cultivation and worship. They turned the sand-covered cities of the Äka into truly prosperous settlements once again, all the whilst the nomads struggled their ways through the many trials of nomadic life.
The Scouring -
The Legions of Legend, Golden Soldiers of the Atraic Empire.
It would not take long before the ancient war of peoples would rekindle the flame, the one disadvantage lied however on the people of Äka, long since adopting the name of the Myornabralke, for they were cut off from all outside influence, and thus remained ignorant whilst the Kübäkhaan, now known as the Atraici, revelled in their domineering insights. Their cities became golden, whilst the golden dunes of the desert scraped the flesh of the Myornabralke off of their formerly prestine mortal vessels.
The faith and worship of the nomads saw no fruit fall at their feet, and their former zeal was long since diminished as they waded helplessly along the desert wastes. Their culture warped and their minds disturbed by the endless exodus. It would prove no advantage to them as they were beset by incredibly vast legions of gold and silver, demons of the dunes, who slaughtered their kind and forced them to flee endlessly and without vision or hope.
These desert demons were the Atraici, one of the first great empires of Ophad. Warped by their unconditional contract to divinity, their minds and bodies were changed, and their personalities warped for the sole purpose of eliminating the descendents of Äka. Now an accomplished task, the Emperor of the Atraici would hunt the Myornabralke to world's end, and so his and his descendents' war against the helpless Myornabralke would see endless deaths on the side of the Myonrabralke with none whatsoever on the Atraici whilst their enemy fled from the Desert world.
Having accomplished their task, the sovereign of the Atraici faced his vengeful and cruel glare to other peoples in the desert, subjugating and exterminating them without mercy.
All the whilst the Myornabralke made their way up north.
The Settlement -
It would take centuries before the Myornabralke found their new home, but once the discovery was made, of a fruitful and bountiful land centered around a mighty river they named the Eisen, their gazed would be forever fixed upon it. As if bewitched by its glory, the desperate people waged a conquest of desperation, one of which they would name the Kreusekrieg, the Crusade. Whilst this name, built around the word Kreuse and Krieg, meaning desperate war, would see a widely different use in the future, it was based upon this truly legendary event.
For seventeen years the warriors of the Myornabralke would see their nature change and distort as their desperation would see ever-changing boundaries as they faced a truly superior opponent in the Tyric Kingdom. However, in their war they gained a new admirer, one of which would play unparalleled importance in the history of the Eisenreich. This admirer was Rhûn, the Lord of Iron and Blood, Great Craftsman of the Abyss. He placed the conditions of his contract at the feet of the Crusader-King Kraafh Myorn in the runic scripture of the ancient Äka, one of which remained dominant amongst the Myornabralke yet to this day.
King Kraafh, faced by unceasing death and hopeless odds accepted the terms of the contract and initiated a cultural change that would see the Eisenfolk prosper under the code of Iron and Blood. Having spilt the blood required for the God's interest, it was now the duty of the God to place upon them the gifts of iron and metalurgy, the power of steel and plate, the might of forging and creation. With this new discovery the bond of Iron and Blood was forged, strenghtened by the ceaseless resolve of the Myornabralke. Wearing their new titular name of the Miesenfrylke, the Iron Men, they crafted great weapons and armours in demonic rituals who would see even the most hardened of foreigner screaming in fear. Their contract with the Abyssal Smith was complete, and their duty to spread the faith was now engrained in their bodies along with increasing power and a will of steel.
With these weapons of doom they placed the once grand kingdom of the Tyric into ruination, and subjugated the local peoples with a power and authority previously unseen and yet still unequaled by any people or individual who had placed their feet on the grounds of the earth.
With their acquired land, and subjugated workforce, the cities of the Eisenfolk, and the Eisenreich, was established in earnest. The capital of Eisentürm, named in the honour of the mighty mountain in the South, was placed in the very waters of the ruthless torrents of the river, a testament to the resolve of the Eisenfolk and their devotion to Rhûn. From the completion of their grand city and monument, their eyes placed outward, and saw many villages and cities fall under the Iron Banner. During an era of extermination and settlement, the Eisenfolk murdered millions and placed their own settlers in their vacant homes.
The Establishment -
Now having settled the lands and having begun the true population of the realm, the eyes of their King were placed on the true establishment of an empire once more. A task only sought by the men of legends past, Kraafh Myorn saw it upon himself that he would be the first ruler for millennia to establish a true nation of peoples, and the first ruler of a Rhûnic Nation. Through the use of Iron and Blood, extermination and gifts alike, he created a true government apparatus centered around the nobles of ancient lineage, and the Generals of the Crusade.
He founded, most crucially, the Blood and Iron Church, a strange religious institution of Abyssal-Smiths and Forgecasters who had recieved the gift of Iron directly from Rhûn. Through their hellish creations they established authority and obedience amongst their subjugated subjects, and mighty and hope amongst their kinsmen.
These were few of many accomplishments that the First King would deliver, and few of several creations that he would create during his century of rule.
The Era of Conquest
With the nation established by her predecessor, Queen Elise-Luthria Myorn succeeded King Kraafh's throne of Steel, and brought into being an era of conquest and expansion. The faith of Blood and Iron Church would see new heights, and the Eisenfolk would revel in a rekindled pride in their citadels of steel. With cruel machinations and constructions they invaded the northern lands and extended their southern borders past horizons old and new.
New methods of war were devised by the genius of the Warrior-Queen, Hierophant and Knight-Monarch of this new Empire risen from the ashes of past nations. They built vast cities upon the ruins of recently ruined cities, burned the corpses of their enemies in the kilns of their demonic workshops. They saw new inhabitants, both welcomed and dispised in the wake of their new conquests. They benefited and profited off of their bounties recently claimed.
During the most fair reign of this truly Iron Queen, Elise-Luthria, the fledgling nation of the Eisen truly claimed its place and accomplished its desires; it crafted a most prestine creation, an Empire of peoples; an Empire built in devotion to Rhûn.
This Iron Banner, created from the black pits of the capital Eisentürm, the one who would stand victorious over endless corpses of nations, would sway in its arcane might as the steel threads of this mighty flag saw the sun kneel before it.
This Iron Banner brought night to the ceaseless sun, dark smoke to the golden glow of prosperous realms. It brought a Demon-God to the worshippers of Hope and Light, but most importantly. It brought faith and desire, goodness and accomplishment, justice and order to the people of the Eisen.
Whilst they stepped on carcasses, they enveloped themselves in the goodness that they had taken, stolen, from others. The Blood and Iron contract made manifest.
The Modern Era -
Having conquered, stolen, and razed many nations and subjects from their homelands, the great workshops and machinations of the Eisenreich screech tirelessly from their cities and haunt the dreams of their neighbours. Their gaze is a most feared object in the hearts of northern nations, and the southern realms sit aching, waiting for this Iron Giant to launch its maws at their borders.
The Crusaders of the Iron Realm are eager, the Church is ready for new worshippers, and the Iron Monarch Mars-Luther is amongst the greatest of monarchs to ever reign over the nation. With world-leading industry, and religious fervour alike, the world lies open for their grasp, and their marches and protectorates stand stalwart.
The Vast Cities of the Eisenreich dislodge the foundations of which they are built upon, leading to monstrous cavernous settlements extending seemingly endlessly into the surface.The culture of the Eisenfolk is a strange artifact of both ancient and alien influence alike to the sight of foreign onlookers. Celebrating the night, as opposed to the sun, revelling in bastions made from steel as opposed to wood and stone, and burning willing sacrifices to fuel their infernal workshops to full effectiveness, there is truly nothing relatable to be found with their neighbour in this dark land. This is just what the Eisenfolk desire, for their hostility towards foreign cultures, but more especially their foreign religions, leads to their mystical appearance in the eyes of others. They sleep during the night, just like most other humans, but not due to fear, but due to safety. The night symbolizes the time of which Rhûn watches over them, so they sleep because they are protected.
Sacrifices are common within the culture and nation due to their blind worship of a particularly ruthless and dark God whom seems ever-hungry for power. This contract is believed fair by the Eisenfolk however, and offer up themselves willingly to their patron and 'father'. Due to this patriarcal view of Rhûn, the common cultural adoption of patriarchy is absolute. Few women ever see power in its true form within the Empire, with few, but great, exceptions.
Subjugation of peoples, better known to the world as slavery, is also common. Vast slave-forces build ceaselessly as the ambition and desire to create runs endless in the willful folk of the Eisen. It is believed by foreigners that each crusade is fueled by a depleting supply of slaves, however it is not entirely the case, as regular people often assist the slaves in the erection of newer, greater monuments and buildings. Nay, the crusades against foreigners is fueled by something simpler, more arbitrary, and that is the will of the Iron Monarch, the Knight-Sovereign of the Eisenreich, and the Hierophant of the Blood and Iron Church. What their will is swayed by, however, is largely unknown.
Feasts and celebrations are always performed during the night, as well as the dark rituals of the Rhûnic faith and the traditions of the Blood and Iron Church. This is due to their great faith in their patron god and patron-deity, one of which distorts their personality and mentality from the norm of most of humanity.
They worship the art of smithing, creation, and the sanguine divinity of blood and the darkness. Their trade surrounds mostly this aspect, with blood being a central commodity and highly expensive luxury item often purchased by the high-nobility of the Eisenreich. Products forged from iron, hardened into steel, or refined into plate, is found in an overflow, often being smuggled by other nations out of the Eisenreich due to its prestine and commonality.
Several holidays exist within the Eisenreich in addition to regular celebrations such as birthdays and weddings. Each Crusade becomes a holiday, celebrated on the day of its initiation, with the War of Desperation being especially celebrated. Rhûn is also celebrated greatly, especially in relation to the seasons, as well as the Blood and Iron contract. Such a celebration is performed by the cutting of one's flesh, and the exsanguination of one's blood into the river Eisen, an offering to Rhûn.
Each Black Pit, the abyssal forges of which the demon-smiths of the Blood and Iron Church create their diabolical machinations, is regularly improved by the burning of willing sacrifices in their Kilns. With each soul sacrificed, their forge becomes more powerful, and their power also increase, leading to greater creations, and improved arcane technique.
The Dark Mask, a prevalent symbol amongst Eisenreich nobility. It is supposed to channel Rhûn's entity through them, and are used as a sort of protective charm.A overview on the military of the nation from it's most common soldiers to it's most elite legions, along with a brief examination of navy, ship types, recruitment, and organization.
The armies of the Eisenreich are proportionally small in comparison to its vast size as a nation-state, yet not entirely underwhelming. This is mostly due to the quality of their mainline soldiers and military forces. Whilst they wield a mainstay of slaves as a form of meatshield, the Eisenreich army does this to later close in with their elite melee elite forces. The Eisenreich has mages, but these mages are unlike most other form of magic casters, as they are siegemasters and creators; wielding metalurgic magic to form swords, spears, and axes (etc.) and hurl it at their enemies, all the whilst wielding their own personal weapon to slay individual, or groups of soldiers.
Organization -
The organization of the armies of Eisenreich are doubly layered, maintaining both professional elite regiments or orders who swear fealty to the Blood and Iron Church, and also conscripting levies from zealous villagers along their crusade. This is due to the fact that the Eisenreich only wages crusader-wars, this is due to their zealous faith and the belief that only blood of an Eisenreichian may be done in zealous purpose. Each Army, or Horde, is assembled by a Eisenkaiserliche Feltherr, or an Imperial Field Lord, a warrior-noble chosen by the Iron Monarch themselves. These lords swear fealty to the Blood and Iron Church, which is subservient to its lord, the Hierophant, who is also the Iron Monarch, who only answers to Rhûn. It is the purpose of the Field Lord, or Black Lord, to create an army through whatever means they deem necessary, to provide forces for future crusades. Each Crusade is lead by the Iron Monarch, who wields the title of Black Herald of Rhûn ceremonially during crusader-times. The Black Herald commands each individual Black Lord strategically through the Iron Court, a royal court which only exists during war-times, whose purpose is the creation of military grand strategy and tactical developement.
Hierarchy -
The armies of the Eisenreich is divided amongst numerous ranks with gradually increasing authority in the actions of the grander military organism of the Eisenreich. Something important to note is that the military organization is a religious entity loyal to the Blood and Iron Church, and operate through it. As such, war is a religious exercise in faith, and is done with zealous intentions to please Rhûn. This act of faith is lead by the Black Herald of Rhûn, the Iron Monarch of the Eisenreich. Beneath him is the Iron Court, the collective entity comprised of individual Black Lords who are the ones who wield each individual army. Each army beneath the Black Lords are distinctly different, but follow the same hierarchical outline created at the very dawn of the crusader history.
Fältermarschalke, or Field Marshals, are the second-in-command to each Black Lord, and wield vast power within the individual armies. Lording over sub-armies, or Miltherde (Vassal Herds). The Field Marshals, referred to as Steel Marshals, comprise the Steel Court, which is the Black Lords' military tactical developement organ used to develope tactical movements during localized battles or field engagements.
Knechterherr, or Knight-Lord, are subservient to each Steel Marshal, and act as their vassals. The Fältermarschalke is a a feudal duke, with each Black Lord acting similarly to an archduke. The Knight-Lords have a similar authority comparable to Counts, and as such are referred to by outsiders as the Iron Counts. These lead individual troops on a tactical level, as opposed to the otherwise strategical authority of the higher-ranking authorities. As such, these are usually the only form of nobility seen on the fields of battle.
Reichteknechter, or Righteously Royal Knight, are the highest tier of Knights without being true nobility. Each title of authority within the Eisenreich is titular and can be granted to anyone, however the Iron Monarch seldom grants the highest of offices to rabble, even if Eisenfolk rabble. Each Knight leads an individual force of warriors.
Gleureknechter, or Glorious Knight, is the second highest tier of knighthood within the Eisenreich without approaching nobility. The distinction is ceremonial and given by distinction, however they do not operate any military forces superior or inferior to other knights.
Feursteknechter, or First Knight, is the lowest tier of Knighthood within the Eisenreich and is a distinctional title acquired through effort and accomplishment. Each knight is given riches and authority within the military hierarchy, but do not wield vast strategical authority, only gaining tactical authority during the time of actual combat. It is their duty to perform orders given unto them by those of higher authority.
Landtesoldner, or Field Soldier, are those who are given authority over two groups of four-men troops. Twenty Landtesoldners are fielded under each Knight. The authority of their office is granted unto them by their Knightly masters.
Marcsoldner, or Plains Soldier, are those who are given authority over an individual troop of four men. Each Marcsoldner is given authority by their Knightly masters.
Roster -
Rhûkereiden-Schmedt vant Rhûn - The Abyss-Smiths of Rhûn comprise the entity of the Blood and Iron Church's upper echelons. Unparalleled warriors of might and magic, these warmages wield their black magics on the battlefield to great effect.
Rhûnische Knechterlische Brudtherhûd derk Skalleschwerdet - The Rhûnic Knight's Brotherhood of the Skullsword, is a legendary force of almost mythical status within the Eisenreich and even throughout the continent. These cavlarymen are brutish in their approach, slaying thousands throughout their history, and wielding mighty lances of war imbued with the apocalyptic magic of Rhûn. Comprised entirely of mighty Mage-Smiths endowed with their own armour and weaponry, the Knight's Brotherhood is a force of legend.
Rhûnische Kaesarlische Unterhesse Knechter - The Rhûnic Imperial Dismounted Knights are the Iron Monarch's own personal guard, employed in the royal palace and throughout the Reich dispatched on personal imperial missions. Recruited from the mightiest of Knights throughout the Reich, and beyond, these employed Knights are taught the sacred bond to the point where no other existence, beyond the bond, exists within these hallowed knights. Sometimes known as the Abyssal Guard, their renown and ability are epic to say the least.
Schwartzerknechter vant derk Meisenrecht - The Black Knights of the Eisenreich, powerful combatants and skilled swordsmen, they wield their greatswords whilst clenshing the ground with their heavy iron boots. So great is their skill, that they are even able to wield their colossal blade with one hand whilst employing the use of their iconic steel tower shields.
Unterknechter vant derk Meisenrecht - Lesser Knights of the Eisenreich, a far more common variant of the Knights of the Eisenreich, these lesser knights are equipped with powerful equipment, armed with sword and shield. They wear a great helm with a symbolic representation of the Iron Crown, the symbol of authority and power wielded only by the Iron Monarch.
Untermarceknechter Bästeslagter -Uthermarc Beastslayer-Knight, heralding from the marshlands of the Uthermarc, bringing to the Eisenreich the arts of beastslaying and savage warfare. These warriors were given arms and armour in show of faith for their devotion, and given the gift of murder to perform during their time as warriors for the Eisenreich. With this gift, they bring skull and bones upon any settlement they wage war upon.
Schwartzerkrieger - Black Warriors, the mainstay of the Eisenreich warriors, these men of dark cloth and suits and weapons of iron and steel, bring to the field of battle their zeal and faith, their skill with blades, and their will to destroy all who oppose their righteous quest.
The Blood and Iron Church has many followers, the ceremonial garbs of which place fear in the hearts of non-Eisenfolk.
The Iron Realm
The Eisenreich adopts a government form of which names the nation itself, and defines the people throughout. It is an absolute monarchy with linear succession based on the oldest of the reigning monarch's children, be they male or female. The Iron Monarch then places their faith in their subjects, divying out duties to their subjects to perform justly.
Each title can be destroyed or abolished, renounced and reduced, by the will of the Monarch. Should they, themselves, deem it upon themselves to rule over everything within the realm, then they can do so with absolute authority.
The Monarch stands as the absolute hierophant, the rule of the church and religion, answering only by their divine mandate to Rhûn, of which all their authority is based. Rhûn is able to place his will upon anyone, and they will be given absolute ability to rule over the Iron Realm without question.
At present, the nobility and administrative powers are as follows, ranked based on their absolute authority:
Meisenkaesar, or the Iron King, the Iron Monarch, or the Iron Emperor, is the absolute authority within the Realm. All power in the mortal realm stems from them, and all can be renounced at will.
Kreuserherr, or Cross Lord, sometimes referred to as Crusader-Governors, are subject rulers of protectorates and marshes who answer solely to the Iron Monarch and the Blood and Iron Church. These territories follow a similar, albeit unique, hierarchy based on cultural customs, and operate semi-idependently from their overlord, waging independent wars and conquests, whilst tributing to the greater dominion of the Iron Realm.
Knechterherr, the Knight Lords, are the second administrative ranking, dwarfed only by the Field Marshals and the Iron Monarch. Unlike the Field Marshals, however, the Knight Lords are given their own administrative districts to rule, whilst the Field Marshals are granted territories of which they may recruit.
Allesknechter, or All-Knights, is the universal term for all forms of knighthood. Each Knight is granted dominion over a single city or village of which they may administer.
Rhûn, the Abyssal Greatsmith, Lord of all Metals and Marshal of the Sanguine.
The Blood and Iron Church plays a dominatingly essential role in the regular society and life of the Eisenfolk. Whilst this may seem overbearing and threatening in the eyes of those whom do not follow the faith of the Eisenfolk, they themselves encourage religious predominance in their society. For reasons beyond reasonable, the Eisenfolk revel in the exchange of emotions, such as taking fear from those without joy, and swallowing joy with those without fear.
This darwinian social interaction is based on social dominance and domination in the social setting, because each Eisenfolk is emotionally empowered if they overpower someone else. Through the church, they are able to dominate an immense amount of nonbelievers, thus gaining faith and happiness.
This is believed to be through the influence of Rhûn, known by foreigners as the Inverted One, for his ability to invert the nature of peoples, and 'bless' them with powers beyond their fathom. This is said to have happened to the people of the Eisenreich. Nevertheless, the actual Eisenfolk care not for what truth may be, they care only for their wellbeing.
For they have always been and will always remain, a willful people. Bent on survival.
However, whilst some aspects of their culture remain, others have changed drastically. As such, their contract with Rhûn did change their destiny forever.
However through this worship, they gain insight otherwise unconsidered, knowledge not yet discovered in the realms of metal, and strenght previously unsought from the might of their blood. Through sacrifice and willingness, they acquire power to increase their might.
Mages sacrifice their own, or others', lives or blood in exchange for power. This is a welcomed exchange in the blind eyes of the zealotry of which the Eisenreich resides. There were those of the true folk, however, who did not welcome this most privileged exchange. Those were the Khaanafrylke, the Khaanites. The Khaanites remain a people of the Rhûnic lineage, but have been severed, intentionally and not, from the rest of their kin due to their lack of faith.
The economy of the Eisenreich made manifest; a bloody affair lacking finess and civilization. The dark ritual of purchases is done in blood, as opposed to with coin.
The lands of the Eisen and surrounding area are rich with minerals and inedible resources, however the flowing tide of the mischievous river flow inadequately to support long-lasting crop farming. Therefore hunting takes center stage for food and provisions, with the torrents of the river Eisen standing for the water consumption necessary to sustain humanoid life. For the noblekin, however, this watery substance remains inadequate, for whatever purpose, so the consumption of blood acts as the main refresher for those wealthy enough in murder may yet still sustain themselves.
As such, crime is prevalent within the Eisenreich, but it is not seen as crime in its most common and conceptual form. No, it is instead a religious ritual, the taking of lesser life, where the one consumed is weak, and the consumer is strong. It is a common occurence amongst the Eisenfolk to adopt ritualistic cannibalism, done in honour of the glorious abyssal smith itself. The Iron Monarch, as deemed pseudo-divine by the eyes of their subject, is granted the free right of murder, an unlimited privilege allowing them to consume any man or woman, no matter position of power, or religion. This is a ritual made in honour of Kraafh, who ate the defeated king of Tyric during his march of victory.
This strange custom creates the prevalence of slavery and its trade, with most slavery rings centralizing in particular around the Eisenreich for the purpose of cheap glory, consuming the flesh of the weak for a meager sum of irrelevent currencies. For this purpose, coin circulates actively around the Eisenreich, even though it isn't used to barter. The Eisenfolk instead purchase their foreign goods without care for its price, as the concept of civil trading and bartering is utterly foreign to these peoples.
Those whom do not follow the religion instead utilize this custom to take advantage of the money-throwing habits of the Eisenfolk to purchase foreign wears at a more reasonable price, supporting their anti-eisenreich causes. The Tyric people, those that remain, and the elves, are especially skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen, having adapted this trait out of mere idealistic and religious necessity. Most of the hidden rebellion is therefore funded out of the coffers of slave buyers, a necessary evil in the eyes of the idealogically blind.
Territory within the Eisenreich, and therefore in their lesser states, is a haphazard, yet somewhat organized administrative mess. Each region being governed by a local overseer, with several regions standing tribute for the regional military development lead by their distinct Dark Marshal.
At present, the Eisenreich consists of 12 larger cities, five of which take considerable presidence over their lesser subjects. These cities are granted the honorary distinction by the Iron Monarch as Grechtestaater, or Greater Cities. They recieve numerous distinctions that make their power within the greater reich more prevalent and obvious within the eyes of an Eisenfolk.
In addition, the Reich also has authority over five seperate protectorates, of which the greater state of Eisenreich recieves resource tributes and whatever aid deemed necessary by the Iron Monarch. There has yet to be any form of rebellion against this iron clad obligation due to the absolute authority of each protectorate is placed on the shoulders of a Crusader-Governor loyal only to the Iron Monarch and the greater Eisenreich and the Eisenfolk.
Greater Cities - Greater territorial urban settlements given specific distinction by the hands of the Supreme Authority.
Eisentürm - Lord Eischtyr Pentrad.
Tryr - Lord Yrmer Aelfslagger.
Kësaar - Lord Kraal Macht.
Myrn - Lord Meüsr Urd.
Kraap - Lord Grüscht Draaker.
Regions - Undefined reaches of land designated under the authority of the Marshals in question, without interference from the Supreme Authority, and dictated beyond the reach of lesser local authorities.
Ortemarcer - Marshal Trekt Reikret
Grechtermarcer - Marshal Orten Krüss.
Kreusemarcer - Marshal Trüberrecht Thûrn.
Rhûnelandt - Marshal Allemarc Tôôr.
Kaesarmarcer - Marshal Gleurchte Rheen.
Alletslandtsmarcer - Greater Marshal Körper Meûseer.
Crusader States - A pseudo-arbitrary territorial region operated by a locally Supreme Authority answerable only to authorities greater than them for purposes of easier protection and spread of the Rhûnic faith.
Uthermarc - Crusader-Governor Maleryck Lyrt.
Rhûr - Knight-Governor Ryscht Brotter.
Grëchten - Crusader-Governor Adelbret Haater.
Krecht - Crusader-Governor Marecht Krygg.
Mürr - Crusader-Governor Graaf Thyreen.
Eisen -
The Center of all things Eisenreich and Rhûnic, the river Eisen is one of divine and holy significance. The place where their God is said to inhabit, the capital of Eisentürm was built on its rapids and hazardous waters at the cost of a great many souls in a brutish show of dedication and faith. Now the Iron city stands as an icon for all of the truly faithful, home to the Black Pits of their most holy sites, embedded deep under the bedrock, cavernously dug into the surface over the passing of centuries. The abyssal forges now utilize the power and force of the river's sonic waterflow to power their hellish inventions of which they use to craft their otherwordly constructs.
The River has its origin in the southern-most mountain whose name was chosen as the capital's, a towering colossus of rock and snow, the mountain stands almost alone, with another peak as its neighbour reaching half of Eisentürm's height. From its frozen peak intermittened gusps of unbearable heat find their way, leading to the snow quickly melting, and freezing in unceasing repetition, thus giving the river's further flow a chaotic pattern.
Inremarc -
The most central area of terrain is known as the Inner plain, or Inremarc. This territory is dominated by flat surfaces with an interval of deep crevaces holding their origination to the first forming of the primordial river Eisen, as its flow has changed drastically over the passing of eons.
Found most prevalently in this region, aside from flat lands and forests, are the ruins of fallen nations. Not only those left by the Tyric Kingdom, but also those even older than Eisenreich records recall, home to unknown peoples of ancient ancestry uncatalogued by the marinette-scholars of the Eisenreich.
Yttermarc -
The distant lands beyond the inner plain are known as the outer plain, or Yttermarc. This area is far denser in forestry, being distant from most forms of the Eisenfolk's civilization, or civilization of any kind. These lands were once home to the ancient forest-loving elves, those elves who disdain the far more 'modern' statesmanship that past elven civilizations adopted. As such, the lands act as refuge for outcasts for centuries, making it no different at the present date.
Home to the rebel cabals who wish to avoid the watchful eye of the Blood and Iron Church and its vengeful ways, these lands act as the home to idealists who desire nothing more than to ignore the extremes of their present situation.
Uthermarc -
A territorial boundry distinguished not for its protectorate area, but for the terrain features of the marshlands, this area is home to the most wild of beasts perhaps even across the continents. These beasts, equaled in ferocity only by the brutish people who inhabit its boundries. The geographic area of the Uthermarc stretches across the boundries of the Crusader State, inwards towards the outer-center of the Eisenreich, and further northwards. A large area with curious origins.
Thaalmarc -
The furthest northern bounds of the Empire's influence stretch across the Thaalmarc, or Pine Plain. This is a forest area stretching vast distances. Covered in snow most of the year, the region is home to two seperate crusader states and the northern-most areas of the Eisenreich, giving unique issues having to be handled by its local rulers, as the Iron Monarch sees little worth in the solving of issues of lesser peoples.
Sollermarc -
The southern-most influences of the Eisenreich stretch over the Sollermarc, or Sunny Plain. A temperate and desert landscape dominated by the states of Krecht and Mürr. Vast desolation intermittened by dense rainforest define this landscape. Whilst it should be a familiar environment to the Eisenfolk, cultural and traditional superstitions makes any southern land or realm an unlikely trip for any free-willed Eisenfolk, leading to the area being home to fortresses and little else. The sparse populace is a plus for those stationed there, however, leading to little difficulties in the acquiring of rare necessities all the more easier.
The Sollermarc is home also to the Rhûnic Order of the Dark Star, a religious order that operate the Crusader State of Mürr. They follow the belief that when a great monarch acquires the throne, the crusades will no longer flee northwards, but lead towards the Southern lands, towards the home of the ancient Äka and thus, per automation, the ruination of the ancient enemy.
Traltermarc -
The western shores of the Eisenreich and its subject states and peoples are known as the Traltermarc, or the Salt Plain. A dune-infested strip protected by dangerous waters and layers of forestation on its land border. Home to the past realm of Kraag, this area used to house the great cities of the Mage-Kings, but during the Sorcerer War, their cities were leveled and the bodies of the kings were buried into its soil. It is said that this great fall, from the emerald heavens to the abyssal underground, allowed the hollow forests dominating the Traltermarc to grow tall and well-fed. It is the home of beasts and lesser men: ancient slaves turned feral as the passing of time furthened. The arcane abominations of the Mage Kings also wander the hollow woods, said to guard the graves of their long since fallen overlords.
Österlandt -
The Eastern shores, the Österlandt, is a flat landscape of increasing elevation. An unnoticable increase of height from west to east, ultimately leading to the large dagger-like cliff faces that define the eastern land bordering the sea. The Östervall, or Eastern Wall, protects the old landscape of the center-continent from any would-be invaders across the eastern route. To pass into the Eisenreich from the eastern sea, one would either have to follow the Eisen against its ravenous flow, or mount the sides of the eastern cliff face and ascend its heights, both of which are arduous tasks beyond the expectation of ordinary mortals.
The Banner of Rhûr, identified via the religious center-symbol, the Twin Wolves (a symbol of the Blood and Iron contract), and the insignia of its Crusader-Governor, Ryscht Brotter.The Iron Realm is divided both out of choice and inadvertent schisms. Through the barbarous actions of the Eisenreich it has created many foreign enemies, both of fallen and persevering realms alike. The elves and the Tyric peoples are a central icon of this inadvertent division, as these rebellious groups operate beyond the visage of the Eisenreich and its lawful inhabitants. Their existence is not a foreign concept, but their actions lie enshrouded beyond the reach of their oppressor. There are many other cabals of rival peoples in direct opposition to the desires and will of the Eisenreich and its Eisenfolk, but the Brotherhood of Lords and Elves, or the Tyril Morde Uthwërii Adi, is the most successful amongst them.
Tyril Morde Uthwërii Adi -
The Brotherhood, or Siblinghood, of the Tyric peoples and the elves, is an old relationship forged during the dusk of the elven era in the Mitterlandt, or Middle Realm. During this trying time, the elven ruler-caste localized willing cooperatives amongst their iron rivals, those being the ancient outcasts of the Tyric peoples. Bonded by an unseperable oath, these two races now fight to dethrone the iron giant from its throne through whatever means deemed necessary.
Miensenrüm -
The Iron Court, an alliance of Warlords distinguished for their mastery of the Iron Way of War, these Warmasters are unified by their bond of war, both in peace and without. An alliance of powerful individuals unequaled by all except the Iron Monarch, this faction has great sway over the nobility and their decisions, dividing the sub-factions of the nobility distinctly based on conflicting interests or unified decisions made within the hallowed halls of the Warshrine, the monolithic tower upon which the Imperial Court of Iron resides during its assembling before and after a crusade.
Grechterfrylk -
The Greater Folk, or Greater People, are the faction consisting the nobility within the Iron Realm. It is the unified center for ideological and political discourse amongst the administrators of the Eisenreich. Interestingly enough, the Faction Quarters are unvisitable by the Iron Monarch, by order of the Iron Monarch themselves. Through some form of moral display, or grand political strategy, the true purposes of this particularly distinct decision remains unknown.
Miesensvärde -
The Ironsworn, loyal subjects of the Iron Monarch, are the religiously loyal practitioners and subjects of the Iron Realm and its influence. Followers of the Hierophant and Monarch, these consist of the majority nobility and a sizable portion of the Reich's total population. Expected amongst the Eisenfolk, some loyalists also harbour different ethnic identity than those of the Eisen, most notably the dwarves who inhabit the land, as well as the Utherfolk.
Kreusesvärde -
The Sworn of the Cross, or the Cross-Sworn, are the loyal subjects of the Eisenreich's satelite states. Whilst they often stand for a minority amongst the Iron Realm's outpost-nations, they inhabit the higher echelons of authority, allowing the safe operation of administrative and religious practice for would-be Eisenfolk settlers. Kreusesvärde are defined by their foreign uppbringing, as thus a Kreusesvärde may never attain the status of a Miesensvärde except through honourable distinction by knighthood. The division of these peoples are done through the enacting of socially seperative laws.
Miesenkreuserüm -
The Court of the Iron Cross, a unified court assembled initially through social cooperation between Crusader-Governors, the Iron-Cross Court has since then become the haven for unified and planned aggression and the spreading of faith. An exclusive group of individuals, only the Crusader-Governors and their Overlord may discuss within its secret halls.
Rhûnische Brutherbandt -
The Rhûnic Fellowship, a landless order of zealous faithful who cross the realms of foreign and familiar faiths alike to spread the message of Rhûn. Often regarded as an exceptionally well-equipped band of highwaymen by foreign eyes, the brutal deeds and their messages are often defined by their inhumane remains left after the conclusion of their religious practices. Whilst the faith garners little foreign support, it is not unheard of for villagers to go missing in combination with the passing of this "noble" fellowship.
Rhûnische Knechterlische Brudtherhûd -
The Rhûnic Brotherhood of Knights is a religious institution centered in Mürr. Acting and functioning as the ruling caste of the religious order that owns the Crusader State, the Brotherhood is well-armed and supplied by the personal coffers of nobility from their homeland. Suppliers and operates of the Grand Vault, the Brotherhood of Knights is the supplier of most of the "Sanguine Drink" consumed by nobility across the Eisenreich.
Grechter Kabaal vant derk Freischenheit -
The Greater Cabal of the Free and Fresh, a secretive organization of like-minded idealists within administrative authority throughout the Eisenreich's many domains. This small, but essential anti-governmental organization is half of the reason why the anti-establishment efforts are swept in thick veils. Whilst independent from any other rebel cabal, these men of authority have, through some mysterious method of conversion, become sympathetic to the cause of the freedom fighters, all the whilst gaining less and less faith in their Rhûnic faith.
The Dark Herald of Rhûn, Iron Monarch and Supreme Hierophant of the Faith.
Meisenkaesar vant Meisenrekt
Iron Monarch of Eisenreich
Born of the river itself, Mars-Luther was discovered by the then-reigning Sovereign of the Iron Realms swept by the torrents of the river Eisen's rapids. Seen as a manifestation of the will of Rhûn, Mëfter Rêschterrhûn took the child as his own son, and blessed upon him the greatest of knowledges possessed in all the Iron Realms, and as the child became a man of true Eisenfolk qualities, the Iron Monarch abdicate the throne in a faithful sacrifice. He thus gave the office of supreme authority to his son, Kricht-Laether Rêschterrhûn. Through his years as the Iron Monarch of the vast realms within his greater domain, wisdom unbeknownst to mere men and women befell him unlike any other.
Through the great reforms of his ancestors, the realm was operable, and it had seen victory and defeat alike. It had a long history, and had embedded itself in the hills and heights of the middle realm through sheer determination and unceasing effort. Kricht-Laether thus declared his first crusade, one of which saw great success, and unified the otherwise uncertain subjects of his subject-nobility beneath his grasp. Having accrued great fame and infamy from his crusades which would culminate in the establishment of Rhûr and the adjustment of the norther-states' territorial boundries, the Dark Herald of Rhûn became known as War. A simple name with great weight, the Monarch quickly adopted it as his own banner and name, becoming known as Mars-Luther. Written and spoken in Tyric, Mars means War, and Luther means Someone who Brings, or bringer.
A symbolic evolution, the nobility quickly adopted the tradition, using their own "names of power" written in foreign languages for the sole purpose of breeding fear and feeding upon these negative emotions harboured by would-be subjects. However within the familiar courts of the Eisenreich, these foreign names proved an issue in regular social interactions, having born foreign names of power for so long the lord of the Eisen had forgotten their own names.
As such, each lord once again adopter newer names in addition to their names of power, Mars-Luther going by the simple name of Rêschteröök, or Apocalypse. Fitting name, for such a dark culture, the other subjects quickly followed suit, however making sure to never forget their "names of true power", the subjugation of foreign languages to serve their nefarious desires.
This perhaps unattractive culture does not lead to a lot of offspring amongst the high courts of the Eisenreich. As such, the Iron Realm and its master declares their heir upon their moment of death, or their "Reuniting" with it. Mars-Luther is an only child, lacking siblings or relationships of any meaningful sort which could eventually lead to the further of his bloodline. He places, instead, great faith in his steadfast ally, Körper Meüseer and Ryscht Brotter.
The Forgemaster of the Black Pit, Marshal of the Secrets of Rhûn, Wielder of the Ebonflame.
Veilenkrescht Graaleifer
Supreme Forgemarshal
To be born with the gift of the abyssal rituals and dark magics of Rhûn is not seen as a possible thing, instead the accumulation of knowledge otherwise unbelievable and the refining of these words of wisdom blessed upon them by their Great God Rhûn is the path of acquiring mastery over the untameable gifts of Rhûn's own desires. These beliefs are founded in the memoirs of the first dark smiths during the War of Desperation, immortalized in a stigmata forged from their own flesh, offered as a sacrifice during the creation of the first dark-forged arms and armour. Since then, the methods and techniques have been ever-refined, and their creations ever-improved.
However, whilst the arts secluded with the dark pits, and their practitioners, have improved and diminished both during the passing of the Reich's history, one thing has remained forever. From the founding of the Blood and Iron Church to the present moment, Ûthërkhaar Äkabrëlst, the Supreme Forgemaster of the Black Pit. For through the dark arts of Rhûn, and his ability to process its secrets, he has gained and given all there is to give, and thus attained all there is to attain. Lacking form, for he has given all to Rhûn, this veiled shadow now commands the abyssal kilns and forges throughout the black pit and its darkness. It is within the darkness that the magics of the great God work, never gaining strenght when done so in the sight of the Sun, and as such, it is essential that Smiths may only bring their bare in war if they have attained knowledge sufficient to return back into the pit.
The Forgemaster is the apex of this iconic distinction of power, greatest of the Smiths, and creator of the greatest of machinations, he remains on the Earth through no will of his own, but through the will of Rhûn. To spread the faith, to expand its boundries. As such, he has given his soul, will, and body to the cause, traversing the mortal realm only through the arcane prowess of which he now possesses.
The Foremost of Marshals, the Dark Beast of the Iron Realm, Bringer of Night.
Grechterältermarschalke vant Meisenrekt
Greater Dark Marshal of Eisenreich
To walk into legend during their first moments of true life is a rarity inconcievable enough to be impossible. However, Körper Meüseer is one of few exceptions. In his own words, "the first day of my life was in Ferrum". Born from the Uthermarc, the man appeared out of nowhere during the apex of Mars-Luther's grand crusade. From the bushes he slew countless warriors veteraned by their countless encounters with bloodshed. The man quickly became the prime target for most field-commanders on the Crusader-side, however avoiding their grasps and gaining ground where no Eisenfolk could fathom his appearance.
It was this quality, this force of will, this domination, that garnered him the unequaled gaze of the Iron Monarch, the only man capable of recruiting this opponent into one of the greatest of allies. Through use of diplomatic and aggressive methods alike, the man was eventually coersed into the Iron Court under the authority of the Sovereign themselves, an unheard-of occurence.
Since those moments, be it through magic or through skill of verbality, the Beast of Ferrum has joined the side of Mars-Luther's innermost companionship, shared together with the fewest of peoples.
Bearer of the Sword; Rhûn made manifest, Vanguard of the Titan.
Kreusebärderr Landtsmaesterherr
Crossbearing Crusader-Governor
To bear the cross, the symbol of the Sword, Rhûn's personal manifestation of his identity made manifest, made simple, is the greatest of honours. Each Crusader gains the cross during their journey of faith into foreign lands to symbolize their faithfulness and zeal, their beliefs and ideals. To become an individual from a great horde is the most arduous of tasks, to make themselves stand out from hundreds of thousands. It requires extraordinary circumstances of skills, abilities beyond the reach of others whom you'd consider equals.
The Crossbearer, most honourable of Knightly title, a name of power given greatest of weights, is the result of this extraordinary privilege found within a rare few peoples, and rarer still who make it known. Ryscht Brotter made his prowess known on the battlefield, made himself anew in the crimson glow of this way of war. Reborn and the Crossbearer, his accomplishments met a swift reward as piles lie still at his feet, surrounded by the awe of comrade and foe alike.
In equal events to his first, altars of dead would lie baking in the sun's blinding rays as tributes of faith, he rose the ladders of power. Knighted, Lorded, and Marshaled, Ryscht broke past all limits, and attained the apex of his heraldry, the rights of Crusader-Governor. And so, Sêphärkhaal was born.
Mars-Luther
Rêschterrhûn
Meisenkaesar vant Meisenrekt
Iron Monarch of Eisenreich
Born of the river itself, Mars-Luther was discovered by the then-reigning Sovereign of the Iron Realms swept by the torrents of the river Eisen's rapids. Seen as a manifestation of the will of Rhûn, Mëfter Rêschterrhûn took the child as his own son, and blessed upon him the greatest of knowledges possessed in all the Iron Realms, and as the child became a man of true Eisenfolk qualities, the Iron Monarch abdicate the throne in a faithful sacrifice. He thus gave the office of supreme authority to his son, Kricht-Laether Rêschterrhûn. Through his years as the Iron Monarch of the vast realms within his greater domain, wisdom unbeknownst to mere men and women befell him unlike any other.
Through the great reforms of his ancestors, the realm was operable, and it had seen victory and defeat alike. It had a long history, and had embedded itself in the hills and heights of the middle realm through sheer determination and unceasing effort. Kricht-Laether thus declared his first crusade, one of which saw great success, and unified the otherwise uncertain subjects of his subject-nobility beneath his grasp. Having accrued great fame and infamy from his crusades which would culminate in the establishment of Rhûr and the adjustment of the norther-states' territorial boundries, the Dark Herald of Rhûn became known as War. A simple name with great weight, the Monarch quickly adopted it as his own banner and name, becoming known as Mars-Luther. Written and spoken in Tyric, Mars means War, and Luther means Someone who Brings, or bringer.
A symbolic evolution, the nobility quickly adopted the tradition, using their own "names of power" written in foreign languages for the sole purpose of breeding fear and feeding upon these negative emotions harboured by would-be subjects. However within the familiar courts of the Eisenreich, these foreign names proved an issue in regular social interactions, having born foreign names of power for so long the lord of the Eisen had forgotten their own names.
As such, each lord once again adopter newer names in addition to their names of power, Mars-Luther going by the simple name of Rêschteröök, or Apocalypse. Fitting name, for such a dark culture, the other subjects quickly followed suit, however making sure to never forget their "names of true power", the subjugation of foreign languages to serve their nefarious desires.
This perhaps unattractive culture does not lead to a lot of offspring amongst the high courts of the Eisenreich. As such, the Iron Realm and its master declares their heir upon their moment of death, or their "Reuniting" with it. Mars-Luther is an only child, lacking siblings or relationships of any meaningful sort which could eventually lead to the further of his bloodline. He places, instead, great faith in his steadfast ally, Körper Meüseer and Ryscht Brotter.
The Forgemaster of the Black Pit, Marshal of the Secrets of Rhûn, Wielder of the Ebonflame.
Ûthërkhaar
Äkabrëlst
Veilenkrescht Graaleifer
Supreme Forgemarshal
To be born with the gift of the abyssal rituals and dark magics of Rhûn is not seen as a possible thing, instead the accumulation of knowledge otherwise unbelievable and the refining of these words of wisdom blessed upon them by their Great God Rhûn is the path of acquiring mastery over the untameable gifts of Rhûn's own desires. These beliefs are founded in the memoirs of the first dark smiths during the War of Desperation, immortalized in a stigmata forged from their own flesh, offered as a sacrifice during the creation of the first dark-forged arms and armour. Since then, the methods and techniques have been ever-refined, and their creations ever-improved.
However, whilst the arts secluded with the dark pits, and their practitioners, have improved and diminished both during the passing of the Reich's history, one thing has remained forever. From the founding of the Blood and Iron Church to the present moment, Ûthërkhaar Äkabrëlst, the Supreme Forgemaster of the Black Pit. For through the dark arts of Rhûn, and his ability to process its secrets, he has gained and given all there is to give, and thus attained all there is to attain. Lacking form, for he has given all to Rhûn, this veiled shadow now commands the abyssal kilns and forges throughout the black pit and its darkness. It is within the darkness that the magics of the great God work, never gaining strenght when done so in the sight of the Sun, and as such, it is essential that Smiths may only bring their bare in war if they have attained knowledge sufficient to return back into the pit.
The Forgemaster is the apex of this iconic distinction of power, greatest of the Smiths, and creator of the greatest of machinations, he remains on the Earth through no will of his own, but through the will of Rhûn. To spread the faith, to expand its boundries. As such, he has given his soul, will, and body to the cause, traversing the mortal realm only through the arcane prowess of which he now possesses.
The Foremost of Marshals, the Dark Beast of the Iron Realm, Bringer of Night.
Körper
Meüseer
Grechterältermarschalke vant Meisenrekt
Greater Dark Marshal of Eisenreich
To walk into legend during their first moments of true life is a rarity inconcievable enough to be impossible. However, Körper Meüseer is one of few exceptions. In his own words, "the first day of my life was in Ferrum". Born from the Uthermarc, the man appeared out of nowhere during the apex of Mars-Luther's grand crusade. From the bushes he slew countless warriors veteraned by their countless encounters with bloodshed. The man quickly became the prime target for most field-commanders on the Crusader-side, however avoiding their grasps and gaining ground where no Eisenfolk could fathom his appearance.
It was this quality, this force of will, this domination, that garnered him the unequaled gaze of the Iron Monarch, the only man capable of recruiting this opponent into one of the greatest of allies. Through use of diplomatic and aggressive methods alike, the man was eventually coersed into the Iron Court under the authority of the Sovereign themselves, an unheard-of occurence.
Since those moments, be it through magic or through skill of verbality, the Beast of Ferrum has joined the side of Mars-Luther's innermost companionship, shared together with the fewest of peoples.
Bearer of the Sword; Rhûn made manifest, Vanguard of the Titan.
Ryscht
brotter
Kreusebärderr Landtsmaesterherr
Crossbearing Crusader-Governor
To bear the cross, the symbol of the Sword, Rhûn's personal manifestation of his identity made manifest, made simple, is the greatest of honours. Each Crusader gains the cross during their journey of faith into foreign lands to symbolize their faithfulness and zeal, their beliefs and ideals. To become an individual from a great horde is the most arduous of tasks, to make themselves stand out from hundreds of thousands. It requires extraordinary circumstances of skills, abilities beyond the reach of others whom you'd consider equals.
The Crossbearer, most honourable of Knightly title, a name of power given greatest of weights, is the result of this extraordinary privilege found within a rare few peoples, and rarer still who make it known. Ryscht Brotter made his prowess known on the battlefield, made himself anew in the crimson glow of this way of war. Reborn and the Crossbearer, his accomplishments met a swift reward as piles lie still at his feet, surrounded by the awe of comrade and foe alike.
In equal events to his first, altars of dead would lie baking in the sun's blinding rays as tributes of faith, he rose the ladders of power. Knighted, Lorded, and Marshaled, Ryscht broke past all limits, and attained the apex of his heraldry, the rights of Crusader-Governor. And so, Sêphärkhaal was born.
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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Athalaric Heldefredus
The Viigoc
The Dignified First Foederati and Captain of His Excellency's Guard of the Viigocs
Kingdom Allegiance: The Most Excellent Domain of the Despotate of Syrome, Subject of the Most Serene Nation of Men and Women of the Kingdom of Baltia.
Tribe: Viigoc, or actually, the most Viigoc of the Viigocs; Syroviigoc.
Appearance: Athalaric is an aged man, having reached a most notable 47 years old throughout his service at the right-hand side of Despote Belisar of Syrome. His age is most obvious in his white hair, this is simply due to the scars confusing the shape and form of potential wrinkles and other symbols of aging. The privilege of his station, and the power of which he holds is made manifest in his most extravagant of attire, dark blue robes covered by golden ornamentary armour which serve both practical and ceremonial significance. Beneath his extravagant revivalist robes and ceremonial attire, is a body riddled with scars, from both practice and battle alike, reaching even his left eye, permanently blinding it. However, he does not hide his eye from the world, instead bearing in its place a ceramic replacement adorned with beautifully painted craftsmanship in some of the most exotic colours available to the Syroviigocs. On his shoulder, placed upon his shoulder plate, is the Heraldry of his people, the Viigoc Warrior (the naked man made of iron, stretched out in majestic form), pressed upon a plate of exquisitely crafted origins, making up the manifest design of the Viigoc peoples' united coat of arms.
When battle makes its natural way into an intersecting path with that of Athalaric, he forsakes the casual robes and instead wears a coat of plates further reinforced by occasional pieces of scale armour and lamellar. It is covered in the engravings of ancient words of wisdom, having been passed down through religious rites since the coming of the Viigocs upon the Baltia. To protect his head, he wears a great helm of sorts, not unlike those of the typical cataphracti of the Baltian culture, but also wields a war-mask of plate, capable of being lowered or opened to better increase protection in times of need, and visibility in times of strategy and maneuvering. The mask, itself, is styled similarly to that of the Owl, bearing great resemblance. In addition, he places the typical ceremonial armour upon his protective uniform, to symbolize rank and station, making it easier for allies to understand from where their orders are coming from during times of chaotic conflict, although naturally the same also applies for the enemy.
Background: Born to the humble Syroviigoc village of Vidimir, situated in the distance of the much greater Syrome City, and it's expansive Viigoc Quarter, Athalaric was brought up as a common man. Whilst Viigocs, especially Syroviigocs, are often thought of as higher in the natural hierarchy of humanity, the lifestyle of which Athalaric initially inherited from his parents was a simple one. Brought up as an apprentice to his father's ways of smithing, Athalaric grew up rapidly into the ways of true men and women, adopting the ways of the world at a very rapid rate.
By the age of 11, Athalaric was already practicing the arts of blacksmithing in support to his father, allowing the two to supply the local guards singlehandedly, where otherwise several workshops would have to cooperate in order to fill the requirements of the guardsmen stationed. Athalaric was left wanting, however, as he felt his life waste away by the mere age of 15, having already mastered enough of the ways of smithing to sustain himself for what would seem as an indefinite period of time. He became bored, and fast, soon venturing, with the understanding of his parents, towards the great city of Syrome, where he made an initial living crafting lockpicks, shields, and other cheap matters of equipment for an increasing bag of coin.
His efforts were recognized, and under the authority of the Foederati captain, he was brought into the Syroviigoc quarter as an official smith of the professional Viigoc military under the helm of the Despot. After five years of effort, his station would advance even further, however in a most unusual of directions, after he participated in a tournament festival, letting out his primal urges and long-before restrained bestial prowess. He won the tournament, at the surprise of all Viigocs of the Quarter, and became a warrior-smith, a therefore unseen rank within the army.
On his first actual battle, a raid on nothing more than local highwaymen and their camp, Athalaric managed to use his own personally crafted axe to great effect, having been forced to forsake his shield in close quarters combat by an especially skilled combatant. Athalaric was able to bring the warrior to heel through careful planning and execution via timed jabs and fake slashes, followed up by confusing jabs to the enemy's torso. His efforts were recognized immediately by his commanding officer, claiming they were "exceptional even amongst the entirety of the guard", which soon lead to a direct promotion into the ranks of senior officers.
This promotion was, however, made in a promise of ability. That is to say, he'd have to show his prowess as an officer in order to remain as one. As such, he was put into task to train a new regiment of recruits for the expanding army, who were under orders of the Despot to expand their capabilities. The regiment were, needless to say, brought up exceptionally well, to the surprise of everyone involved. Athalaric had always had a simple way of speaking and behaving, and when the surprise arose amidst the senior-most ranks of the military, Athalaric was the only man who seemed indifferent with the results. He saw his accomplishments in training, and leading his regiment in battle, as a natural result. No different than birds of prey feeding on prey.
The Captain of the Foederati, Fridigern the Old, in rise of this incredible discovery, catapulted Athalarics career into new heights, placing him at the most generous position of Army Commander. Now being one of five individuals allowed the authority to govern entire armies in battle, with only eachother and the Foederati Captain to answer to, as well as the Despot, an entirely new life emerged for Athalaric.
The first test of his metal, his will, and his prowess as a commander of soldiers, as a commander of the Viigocs, came during the Second Pirate Invasion of Sonimossos, a city of average size, otherwise unimportant aside from its exceptionally excellent grapes, leading the city to become a center of local trade. As it was on the same mainland as that of Syrome, there were no need to assemble any ships to cut off the Pirates, and instead the army was assembled and marched on foot to the place of battle. Under the banner of Methos, a Pirate Lord of exceptional wealth and power amidst the Sea of Tears, he had organized a raiding party to sack the city and steal it of its wealth.
Athalaric would serve as acting commander of the army, with General Huml and Senior-General Rekitach acting advisor. Initially the campaign to destroy the pirate fleet proceeded well, with the army itself assembling itself rapidly, and through the period of travel, nurturing itself well, and keeping up a truly exceptional speed. Whilst partly due to the experience of the Advisors under his command, certain aspects of the routine were organized by Athalaric's own hand, such as modifying the rationing system and organizing the men and their orders during times of putting up camp. Things would soon change, however, when battle struck. When the city of Sonimossos came into view, the smoking city, bombarded by ship-mounted catapults and assaulted by pirates on its harbour, things would come to take a turn for the worse.
Athalaric's army entered the city via its gates, who were opened as they had arrived. A command station was established in the city center, and the troops were relayed into their positions under Athalaric's command, through the aid and careful council of his advisors. It all made sense, the positions of his archers and spearmen, the flanking positions of the renowned Cataphracts. On paper, it was a perfect defense, however, when the harbour finally fell, and the enemy landed en-masse, disaster struck.
With one fell swoop of the catapult, his advisors were smashed into pulps, adorning the stone path next to him. Athalaric had missed death by a mere meters lenght away. With his senior advisors and staff obliterated by the path of the catapults payload, Athalaric felt a surge of emotions that he otherwise had never before experienced, save for when participating in the gladiatorial games.
A feral instinct embodied him, as he felt both joy, anger, and savagery overwhelm him. His commands and orders became erratic, and reactionary, as opposed to the natural planned pattern it had moments before been. He ordered his cavalry to breach the enemy's main ranks making their way from the harbour, and whilst it was accomplished, the Cataphracts had not expected the ships to have already landed, and unloading their corsairs upon the docks. The Cataphracts were stuck, and ultimately perished entirely, as their heavy armour could not burden all the punishment that came at them from all directions. Whilst this happened, Athalaric had sent his infantry and archers forward to assault the ranks of the enemy, who had now mostly turned their backs to his forces at the docks.
The Viigoc infantrymen, supported by their cavalry, would face the corsair hoards in a skirmish that would ultimately last for several days, leaving both sides tired and bearing losses entirely unacceptable for the occation. Athalaric's emotional rage would not seize until he was apprehended by his own Guards, and sent to the headquarters in Syrome after the battle had ended. The result of the incursion and the subsuming chaos that had afflicted Athalaric and his army would leave half the city in entire disrepair.
Athalaric was entombed, as punishment for his service, deep below the Viigoc Quarter's citadel, within the catacombs, where he would be left to rot for years to come.
Left with naught but bread and water for years on end, Athalaric would come to soon learn to confront his inner self, and take control of it. He would converse with the guards and servants who would meet him every day to give him the barest of nutrients. In his chains, he would grow wise with the world, learning, understanding, and solving the most basic and the most complex of issues which he were presented via his dialogue with the guards and servants during his inprisonment.
He had thought himself abandoned for long, after all, how many eternities had he not been chained to a tomb burried deep below Syrome? However no, his feats had not forgotten, for they were not overshadowed by his faults. The Commanders of the Viigoc Guard, and the Foederati Captain had not been ignorant in their reports of the battle, and had seen the diamond covered by dirt that had presented itself during the battle.
Fridigern had decided, to the discord and approval of numerous of his military council, that Athalaric would be forgiven for his failures, and groomed into his successor. His reasoning was clear, no one would disagree that Athalaric, when in control of his own self, was a natural learner, and skilled at adapting knowledge, and adjusting factors on the battlefield. He was a natural organizer of men, and with his simple, yet effective pressence he inspired many officers in his ranks. Whilst no ideal warrior-leader, his officers resolved that disconnect with their own presence on the battlefield, and their leadership.
He was born to become a victor, and so they thought. However, the decision had not been their's to begin with. Athalaric had been imprisoned by Despot Justinius of Syrome for his atrocity in handling the pirate incursion. He was said to rot in the tombs of the Old Age. However, with the death of Justinius and the crowning of Belisar, circumstances changed.
Belisar would see Athalaric freed, and this debt would have to be repaid in full. Athalaric, a man of simple morals; ideas of light and darkness, and no distance inbetween, saw the act of Belisar as needing obvious redemption. Athalaric would grow older yet since being released and immediately entering under the mentorship of Fridigern himself.
Athalaric would since leave on many a battles, on sea and on land, ultimately becoming a master organizer, skilled strategist, and overall military genius. Due to his personal connection to Belisar, and the card that he serves in the Despot's hand, he naturally became the man's right-hand man, supplying to Belisar what he himself cannot; simplicity, realism, and productiveness.
With the passing of Fridigern the Old, at a most saddening time, Athalaric inherited the position as Foederati Captain and acquired all the titles of his forebearer. Under his command, the Viigoc Guard and the Viigoc people would become further unified in creed and purpose thanks to the charismatic Despot and the ruthless efficiency of their commander. Productivity would surge, and the rebuilding efforts of the great city of Syrome reached new highs.
He became Athalaric the Viigoc.
The Three Generals
General Sigeric, General Eriulf, General Vandil
Kingdom Alliegance: Syrome, subject of Baltia.
Tribe: Syroviigoc.
Background: General Sigeric is a man who grew up during the time when Athalaric was imprisoned, and rose the ranks during the time of Athalaric's legend. There was no Syroviigoc who had not known of Athalaric, as his punishment and deeds had been made clear under Despot Justinius' rule. When ultimately the shift in who became the leader of the Foederati, Syrome's most prestigious military organization, the once dead legend rose again. Athalaric gained the power and the station, and in response the remaining Generals of the Foederati bowed their heads to him. However, he did not seem to respond to the change in authority as any man should, but simply viewed it as a natural result of the situation. Athalaric garnered the attention of the new generation just like he did the old, during his first rise in the ranks, and with his simple majesty, loyalty spewed forth from the crowd.
Most exceptional of these loyalties would be General Sigeric, who would become attached to Athalaric's personal advisory, along with General Eriulf and General Vandil. Athalaric's thoughts were simple, he needed leaders who had the qualities that he does not, and as such, he employed General Sigeric for his warmth of heart and energy. He employed General Eriulf for his knowledge of militia and guerrilla warfare. General Vandil came under the banner of Athalaric's personal advisory for his understanding of naval warfare and combined arms.
The Primo Foederati Custodes acts as the personal bodyguard to the Dignified First Foederati and Captain of His Excellency's Guard of the Viigocs when occupied in public and military matters. The only exceptions are during festivals and visits to the Despot's personal palace, where leniency is awarded. The bodyguard unit consists of an equal amount of men and women, numbering to a total of 52 guardsmen in the entire unit, often spread out during peace. More often than not, two custodians are at Athalaric's side at all times, seldom more in times of peace. During wartime, the entire unit follows Athalaric and his retinue in battle as a single unit.
The Custodians wear some of the heaviest armour available to the Viigocs, allowing for increased protection against incoming damage, and the relative resistance against missiles. In addition, on the battlefield they wield great lances with shield and sword, in addition to a two-handed bearded axe.
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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- Despotate of Syrome;
VIIGOC QUARTER
"To be honest, the best part of the city is this." - A SyroviigocThe Syroviigoc quarter, although referred almost universally as the Viigoc Quarter, is the industrial center of the capital, and the cultural centerpieces of all Syroviigoc culture, seeing high activity in both industry and whatever tourism there be. Blacksmithies and industrial culture dominates the area, with occational squares and cultural centers who, during times of festivities, become overwhelmed with drunk and bombastically social Viigocs, with much of the city's festivities taking place within its borders. Women, Men, and whatever else there be in Syrome flocking to have their fair share of the Syroviigoc's hospitality.
In addition, there lies a grand arena, filled by competition and excitement during the times of fights, drawing the attention of the entire city, betting and cheering for their favourite fighters. It is a common place of distinguishment amongst the Viigocs, with powerful contestants gaining prominence within the martial culture of the inhabitants.
As previously mentioned, the quarter is the industrial center of Nova Syrome, and perhaps the entirety of the Despotate, with its smithies and forges supplying the military and spearheading the reconstruction efforts and excavation in the restoration project of Syrome's lost quarters during the shattering. The energy and dedication shown by the Viigocs help the entire city by aiding and protecting its inhabitants during everyday life, going to greater lenghts than most Syromites to improve the Despotate's overall quality.
It is also home to the center of the Foederati, the professional military of the Despot Belisar II of Syrome, son of Despot Justinius of Syrome. The Foederati Citadel acts as the central structure of military affairs during most of Syrome's offensive and defensive activities, being overshadowed by the Despot's Palace itself during the most urgent or important maneuvers and campaigns. The Grand Citadel is the personal residence of all officers of the Foederati, be they of higher rank or lesser, with most soldiers residing in barrackses who flank the perimeter of the fortress. The Primo Foederati Custodes act as the fortress' guardians, only leaving their duties to the town garrison when their subject of protection, the Foederati Captain, leaves the premises.
The city is also home to a rather renowned institution of industry, the Foundry Magisteros, which is the industrial heart of the quarter's industrial efforts, where numerous blacksmiths and officials operate to ensure as much efficiency of construction as even possible, in accordance with old Heavenly Kingdom insight uncovered in one of the numerous unearthings of knowledge spearheaded by Belisar II. The institution was implemented recently, through collaborative efforts made by both Athalaric the Viigoc and Despot and Doux Belisar II.
SYROVIIGOC CULTURE
"People think we're an unfunny lot, but I have to say, have you seen our festivals? Ah, you're missing the good life lad." - A SyroviigocThe Syroviigoc are amongst the most famous and renowned of all the Viigoc splinter-tribes, however their fame is that of professionalism, duty, and loyalty. This partially correct idea of the syroviigocs proves to be quite misleading, as the Viigocs are no more, or less, professional than their kin, but are instead far more ritualistic and restrained. Whilst the Viigocs are renowned for their ferocity, muscularity, bravery, strenght, amongst many others, the Syroviigocs have managed to transform their nature into one of restraining themselves for special occasions, where they unleash their inner urges upon the festivity with unyielding ferocity and immeasurable "barbarity".
Their emotional fasting has been ritualised for centuries since the arrival of the Viigocs upon the Baltia, and has been refined even further amongst the Viigoc peoples of Syrome. Their duties are vast, spearheading most industries with their strenght during times of peace, and leading the military efforts during times of war, they therefore buckle up their primal urges for times of celebration, such as victory parades or after-battle celebrations, where they do all manners of undescript contests and generally gregorious entertainments.
A particularly famous ritual is that of the Warrior-Games of Nova Syrome's Viigoc Quarter, where they battle one another for supremacy in some of the most savage and bestial manners thinkable, all to the awesome entertainment of the Syromean celeseans adoring the fight from the stands, where they cheer and boo for their favourite contestants. It has even gotten so far that money has become envolved in the former tribal ritual turned spectacle.
However inbetween these outbursts of emotions the syroviigocs are a dutiful people with great loyalty and respect for strenght, often times being lead by the most imposing and powerful amongst them. This obvious martial hierarchy was, however, interrupted during Athalaric's rise to authority, as his time spent isolated from the world underneath Nova Syrome lead to all manners of muscle degeneration.
The people of the Syroviigocs have respect for strenght within subjects that they can understand and tangibly learn, and as such, Athalaric's position as the First amongst the Foederati has placed him at the helm of respect amongst the officers of the military, as they understand that whilst his physical strenght may have lessened, that his knowledge has improved insurmountably since his mentorship under the now dead Foederati Captain Fredigern, the former leader of the Foederati. As such, the officers and "intellectuals" amongst the Syroviigoc population spread their loyalty to those that they serve.
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Archetype Zero 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖍𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝕺𝖓𝖊
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Odjuren
Order & Hierarchy
Law, Respect, Seniority.
Gender:
Male.
Opposing Domains:
Change, Chaos.
Appearance:
Odjuren maintains a somewhat surprisingly youthful appearance whilst revealing himself to others, seemingly aged no greater than the middle 20s. The chaotic youth most would typically compare him with do not amount to his demeanour however, wielding the moniker of both a stern yet kind man clad in spectacularly beautiful robes fitted in perfect geometric similarity. Each complex pattern perfectly mimiced across the canvas that is the cloth-like fabric on his clad form. The pale skin comparable to that of a child, unaffected by the pollutants of the sun nor the dirt of the wilderness.
His face, perfectly symmetric, a quirk which follows through to the entirety of his form, balanced in all forms of biological shape and metaphysical knowledge, all exemplified in his ideal appearance. His hair, otherwise unruly, is held in shape by yet another excessively bejeweled piece of fabric.
As a perfect break from shape, his eyes, whilst most might've suspected perfect symmetry much like the rest of his body, are coloured in two antithetical manners; white and gold, and white and black; symbolizing the balance of both "good" and "evil"; Creation and Destruction. The necessity of both things.
In addition, the man has only one arm; in its shape a vague phantasmal shape instead aids him in handling items and other material objects.
Core Appearance:
A scale, both white and black, split equally through the middle. Symmetric in manners only feasible to Gods, the item itself has a strangely abstract shape, and in its scales are left the metaphysical ideal of order itself.
Personality:
Some may call him dumb, others an idiot. The ideal of balance and order in the system as it has been might been an ideal unworthy of support, at least to some. His ways are rigid, at least to those who speak with him; often refusing to partake in matters of which he has no recollection of happening or occuring in ages past. Some may describe him as a monolithic personality, but in his own mind these classifications bear little significance.
He views the world and the state of the Shape as too frail for such measly matters, an aspect of which gave him great respect from former divine courts. Unfortunately, the long time it takes for others to properly understand Odjuren's somewhat atypical mannerisms and quirks leads him to stand is a somewhat lonely corner when compared with his more successful kin. Nevertheless, he is the champion of stability, at least in his own views, viewing the working system that have proven themselves functional in the past to be better than experiments performed in the present.
He does not look down on his fellow kin, no matter their faiths or ideals, but instead put himself in the rather unique position of self-proclaimed scalekeeper. Having locked himself with his thoughts for as many cycles as have been, he views himself as the historian of the Shapers, but does not particularly share his interest with anyone unless necessary. His somewhat obsessive fetish of keeping balance in all things extends, in fact, into all matters of his existence within the shape itself. Having obsessively weighed and measured the time in which he is alone with the time in which he is with others over cycles, the chaos of the present have forced him out of his bubble of comfort.
Lacking any meaningful relationship with most of his kin due to his particular quirk of self-imposed distance, his regular appearances being advisory to the former king of the Shape, he is now put in a place where change has come, undesirable as it is, and he views that it is his duty to see to it that order is restored, but the difficulties of his position are not unknown to him.
Maybe order itself must change?
No, such an idea is merely too ludicrous...
Relationships:
Odjuren does not look down on other immortals, but the idea that he does hasn't escaped the minds of many of his kin. His distance from others come off as both uncomfortable and odd to most, but his mind itself does not wander so far into irrelevant subjects. He has simply not have had to deal with others, and whilst he respects those of whom have fought for order in the past, he does not look down and disrespect those who have fallen in the pursuit of chaos. In his mind, all subjects of the shape carry with them their own unique view of things, and their own moralities; but the core principle remains that there is one fundamental rule to the world that IS, and the champions of the world that might be, are merely pursuers of dreams who will in time ruin them. He views the pursuit of the throne, however, as an unsacred act, spitting on the past King of the Shape, and views himself, as a former advisor to the King, as the Guardian of the Throne; to find someone suitable, or claim it itself and atone for his sacrilegious acts in deeds to the legacy of those who came before.
Allegiances:
True Neutrality.
Domain:
The Mirror-World is Odjuren's own domain, a realm divided in its center between the two opposing pools of the fundamental. Inbetween these metaphysical axioms lie a path laid in stone, intermittened by flourishing grass and beautiful flowers. At the path's end lie a house, no, a mansion overlooking the celestial plane. The mansion itself lacks definite shape, much like the other aspects of his domain, changing appearance based on those who visit it, as opposed to the resident within. Odjuren himself can often be found in the mansion's pavillion, overhanging the sea of emeralds in which the mansion itself overlooks, with a perfect view of the stars above and below.
Peoples:
The chief supporters of Odjuren are often those rare few just and proper lawkeepers and lawbringers of the world below the 'shape', be they druids or chieftans, kings or priests. However, he views himself as the shepard of the soldier, not because of his skill in battle, or his strategic wit, but because of the cause of which they support; order and structure. Most soldiers do not wage war for blood and turmoil, death and pillage. Whilst there are some who do, they do not walk with the blessing of Odjuren. No, instead he gives protection to those who defend the innocent and halt the chaos of war and the systemic destruction of hierarchy in the anarchy that follows in the wake of conquest.
Avatar and Anathema: Lackingly unimaginative, Odjuren's avatar is, well, a perfect avatar of his own percieved form. There is no difference from his ideal shape and the appearance of his avatar. They even bear the same name, although unsurprisingly, bearing the name of Gods amongst mortals is not particularly uncommon, but when the power of Odjuren's avatar was made aware by the denizens of the mortal world, he became more of an importance in the world. Armed with the Weight of Order, a set of twin spears capable of divine power, the mortal agent of Odjuren's will is aptly prepared for combat, much more so than Odjuren himself could ever fathom himself to be. Unfortunately the circumstances of this cycle have changed with the norme that he is used to, and maybe the monolith itself must consider changing shape.
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