[CHAR] Dulce et Decorum Est - A WWI Inspired NRP (dead for now)

[Antediluvixen]

Etresna

Name of Nation: Etresna, the Enlightened Realm

Government: Enlightened Despotism - ruled by a monarch with great power, the governing principles of the state stretch back for eons, each Raijen or Reijen - the female or male rulers of the nation, is chosen by an elected council of ostensibly the wisest minds in the nation. The system has worked well thus far, the scholarly nature of much of the elite leading to a burgeoning technological paradise. The state pours much of its budget into the sciences and into engineering, determined to maintain its technological lead in the world.

[url=http://]Map of Etresna[/url]

Claimed Territory

Positioned on the eastern coast of the Narrevian continent, the populous nation of Etresna benefits from the significant rainfal brought by the equatorial westerlies and summer monsoons, the northern section of the nation playing host to a significant rainforest, and the heavy rainfall facilitating widespread rice cultivation in the central regions. Much of the agricultural industry of Etresna is managed by the central state in the interest of maximum efficiency, with the remnants of the Lowlands’ former inhabitants working as tax free, almost independent farmers on vast rice plantations in the north, and even more vast wheat fields on the prairies in the nation’s center. Much of the large population is situated along the coast, the vast and numerous rivers within the nation, in the massive mountains, or the foothills of those mountains where water pools and collects from mountain runoff. Population is concentrated heavily in the nation’s major urban centers, with much of the countryside either all but uninhabited or devoted to the vast agricultural plantations that feed the large urban centers and much of the world beyond. To some extent, the mountains are an exception to this rule, with much of their population distributed widely across the expanse, in mining towns or fortified mountain redoubts. The people of the mountains are responsible for much of the nation’s mining industry, the large and imposing natural defensive barrier doubling as a cornucopia of natural resources. Industrial production is primarily centered in the cities.

Dramatis Personae:
Anukadi “Anu” Firulkh Dashyrr: The current reigning Raijen of the Realm, elected thirty years ago by the grand council. Before her election, Anu was a distinguished civil engineer and public servant, responsible for overseeing the implementation of a modern electrical grid in the Realm’s southern coastal cities. Under her reign, the Realm has seen vast investment in the sciences and in public works, but sometimes at the expense of lower military investment, the Raijen putting faith in the Realm’s naval prowess and land forces to keep the Realm’s borders secure.

Azhis Dahtkah Fyrra: Occupying a position analogous to Commander in Chief of other armies, Azhis represents the strategic mind behind the Realm’s military forces. An enigmatic figure of dubious age, Azhis has nonetheless managed to keep the Realm out of the costly land wars the people wish to avoid. Investment in the navy and defensive capabilities on land has been her primary focus.

Species: Etremaden - A tall, grey skinned race, with similarities to the fae peoples of other nations, the Etremaden are nevertheless a distinct people from their long removed cousins. Males standing on average 6 feet, or 1.8 meters, and females standing but a few centimeters below. As with other fae peoples, they sport tapered ears, and some refer to them as ‘dark elves’ - a term the Etremaden themselves are none too fond of. Divergent from the usual strain of intelligent bipedal peoples that dominate the planet, the Etremaden are still humanoid, but with some unquantifiable sense of being ‘off’ to outsiders, this is far more prevalent and pronounced among the mountain dwellers. Unlike other humanoid species, their musculature between the sexes is considerably more equal, with both sexes sporting muscle mass nearly identical to each other.

Ancient records indicate the Etremaden originated in the same mountains from which their nation sprang, the people from which they came lost to history. The mountains of the Realm are host to a vast font of magical energy, but wholly different from that of the norm. Steeped in Eldritch influence, a strain of magic made infamous by the Dark Empire of old, one the Etremaden themselves were crucial in the destruction of, the mountains slowly changed their inhabitants, giving rise to the modern day Etremaden. This origin, coupled with their emnity with Kratoria, has lent them ill repute in many regions of the world, those dominated by old magic and old orders, who see the Etremaden and their origin as corruptions, dark blights upon the magical order of the world.

Population: 273 million, still rapidly growing. The realm is still nowhere near its potential, the vast depopulation of the land in the mid 1400s still has a marked influence on the population size to this day.

Culture: For much of their earlier history a relatively inward looking people after their conquest of the lowlands, and repulsion of the Kratorian Empire’s attempt at annexation, the people of Etresna have cultivated a simultaneously scholarly and militaristic culutre, idealizing the warrior-scholar of old. The nation is heavily armed, with around 66% of the population owning rifles, pistols, machine guns, and other ordnance - a holdover from their history of constant warfare and citizen military participation. At the same time, there is a love of the arts, the sciences, engineering, and philosophy, and it is common sight to find a military artistic exhibition, showcasing the works of local military personnel, sponsored by the general or some affluent individiual, and the comparatively small army is frequently seen assisting in public works and engineering projects. There is much distaste for the state militarism prevalent among many other nations - Among their own people, there is a strong sense of egalitarianism among themselves - there are very few or no restrictions upon the rights of fellow Etremaden in regards to sex or other characteristics. Other peoples are generally judged on a case by case basis, and will usually be held to be ‘lesser’ until in some way proving themselves.

Economy: A global powerhouse, Etresna’s economy is heavily focused around a major service sector augmented by powerful manufacturing, fueled by vast raw material reserves in their mountainous nation, alongside the agricultural heartlands in the central plains and northern rice paddies. The nation has advanced leaps and bounds in many areas, and produces many excellent doctors, scientists, engineers, mathemeticians, others. This lends the economy a considerable service sector bent. Despite this, there are movements within to increase manufacturing prowess to compete with the global market, rather than merely supplying their own needs.

Despite its large population, Etresna is a net exporter of grains, shipping food abroad in great quantities - primarily and wheat - the centrally planned and overseen wheat prairies and the vast rice paddies of the northern river deltas providing frequent bumper crops with the advent of modern fertilizers and the mechanization of farming equipment. These agricultural lands are sparsely populated, with the predominant population being the remnants of the erstwhile inhabitants of the coastal lowlands, a people with a unique position within the realm. They live tax free, barely regulated at all beyond baseline codes of conduct, and in turn manage the realm’s agricultural engine, having recently been subsizied in a switch from pack animals and degenerate beasts of burden to an almost wholly mechanized farming system. Even so, engineering works are constantly underway to further expand the nation’s agricultural prowess.

Technology: For much of its history a technological powerhouse, Etresna has continued to lead the world in technological advancement, all of its cities sporting modern electrical grids and transportation hubs, with a sophisticated rail network linking every part of the country together. The military as well benefits from this technological lead, many warships outfitted with advanced targeting aparatuses, though much of their fleet is of older make, and not as modern as their grand fleet would indicate. On land - while their individual equipment is still focused around tried and true technology - the bolt action rifle, the revolver, and so on, these weapons are produced of high grade steel and can sustain higher cartridge pressures than those of most competing nations. And even so, there is constant pressure to innovate both in private arms companies, and governmental arsenals.

Army

Army: The Matichikyrra Vihhrytt’aten, the Many Children of War, serve as the armed forces of the Realm. Not a vast organization by any means, the army is standing year round and numbers about a hundred and fifty thousand professional, excellently trained and equipped troops, with a further two hundred thousand as registered reserve forces that can be called up at a moment’s notice. The vast majority of the realm’s standing army is dedicated to their non-infantry roles - artillery and other such engines of war. Much of the realm’s military strength comes from registered militias, organized at the local government level but trained along standards issued by the standing military. These militias, though lacking in any heavy ordnance, carry plentiful small arms and total almost half the population of the realm - but calling up such militias is a laborious and extremely time-consuming process fraught with political landmines. The physiology of the Etremaden is different from normal humanity, with male and female musculature highly similar, and as such their military is roughly 48% female, who serve full responsibility in frontline and support roles. Indeed, one of the youngest but most gifted high level commanders of the army is a woman over sixty years of age, who despite relatively limited Etremaden involvement, distinguished herself in the Kratorian-Rotteburg war.

The army, should it truly be pressed, and the people willing, can draw on the large population of the Realm. However, conscription is a slow process, much of the population and political class keen on avoiding costly land wars abroad - having suffered costly, grinding wars or utter catastrophe in past attempts, and prefer to exert influence through economy and the powerful navy. However, the laws and structure are in place, and as such, should the nation ever find itself in a true war of attrition in defense of the realm or their allies, there will be no shortage of warm bodies - though gathering them together will take considerable time.

Notable Figures
Firahl Kyni Panarre: The foremost field commander and tactical mind of the Realm’s land forces, Firahl does not hold supreme command, but does hold considerable localized command authority, and more importantly - great influence with the ruling classes and her superior. Considered by many to be an expert in mountain warfare - unsurprising considering the terrain of the nation - she sits at sixty two years of age, with active duty service from the age of twenty.

The Realm’s small army is equipped with excellent, high quality weaponry:
One of their own domestic designs, the Realm’s standard issue service rifle is the Atassidaiir Vyye 1903 - Repeat Firearm Model 1903 - a well crafted weapon tested to high tolerances, manufactured to exacting specifications, and tested by hand. Feeding from a fifteen round internal magazine, the weapon is capable of surprising rates of fire for a bolt action weapon when placed in the hands of the well trained Etremaden army. Chambered for the .338 Kasanfirre round, designed with Orcish soldiers in mind as well as the infantry of other nations, the Realm’s main service rifle fires a potent .338 round capable of propelling a 250 grain projectile at 800 m/s, a round more than capable downing even the orcs who might charge through less powerful ordnance.
In addition, all rank and file soldiers as well as the officers are issued the Suinnadaiir Vyye 1901: A sturdy six shot revolver chambered in a potent and recently developed .357 caliber cartridge. Capable of propelling its 158 grain load at speeds exceeding 1200 feet per second, it is a potent close quarters weapon.

The army is well known for their liberal and devastating use of artillery, their original conquest of the lowlands dating back almost half a millenium owed to their early mastery of artillery tactics. Since then, they have remained a foremost player in the field of artillery, fielding a wide array of formidable pieces, including the fearsome 430mm Dunikeyrr Heridda Vyye 1906 - the Siege Cannon Model 1906 (nicknamed “Ved Venkam” or “Fat Vemkan” by its crews), or the 150mm Evini Heridda Vyye 1908 - Field Cannon Model 1908 among others.

Additionally, centuries of mountain warfare and individualist combat doctrine have lent their infantry a less rigid bent. Even in the black powder era, large swathes of their army fought as loose skirmishers, taking cover behind rocks and trees and aiming independently with accurate rifles. With the advent of modern arms, this tactic has been adopted wholesale, and the full army is organized into small squads and platoons, given a general directive rather than organized and commanded as a single cohesive unit.

Pictured below: Soldier of the 43rd Shock Battalion

Navy:

The navy historically has been a major strength of the coastal nation, and their navy and merchant marine are vast and exceedingly modern. While not the largest navy of the world, they are easily one of if not the most modern, each ship kept up to date with state of the art fire suppression systems and hydraulic loaders for the guns. The Etremaden navy is deployed differently than many of its contemporaries, with costly large scale fleet actions something the navy wishes to avoid. The pride of the Realm’s forces at sea are its Battlecruisers - different than those of many other nations, the Realm’s Battlecruisers are on average smaller, but armed to the teeth with a full bevy of naval ordnance. Organized into hunting packs alongside destroyers, cruisers, and support craft, the Battlecruisers’ role is to patrol the seas, savaging the commerce shipping and smaller scale military operations of enemy nations, and avoiding a pitched battle with larger ships of the line if at all possible. The role of fleet operations are delegated to the battleships and other vessels dedicated for the purpose.

Adafarry Daruhl Mazatsi: The supreme commander of the Realm’s great naval forces, Adafarry is a man who commands respect. The forces at his disposal are immense, while not the largest fleet in the world, the Realm boasts possibly the most modern, with many warships bearing powerful long range guns and advanced targeting systems - sophistication and accuracy unimaginable even a decade earlier.

The navy’s strength is divided between two main fleets, with numerous other smaller detachments stationed at their larger island territories. The overall fleet size sits at 273 surface vessels, with a submarine fleet some 80 strong.

Manen Matiduniss - Great Fleet: Total strength, 134 vessels
1st Battlegroup:
DME Yavinnd - The name of the flagship of the fleet, the Yavinnd is always a vessel unique in its design, almost always a fearsome warship with no equal on the seas. The current incarnation, weighing in at almost 62,000 long tons and bringing to bear fourteen 15 inch guns, is a monstrous floating behemoth of guns and armor.
DME Raijen Class Super Dreadnought - Raijen
DME Raijen Class Super Dreadnought - Kalikka
DME Takriss Class Super Dreadnought - Yekanii
DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Aktis
DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Yerissi
DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Yakhille
12 light Cruisers, 21 destroyers

2nd Battlegroup:
DME Raijen Class Super Dreadnought - Vendavii
DME Raijen Class Super Dreadnought - Anuzha
DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Tavul
DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Yerama
DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Tuvalai
DME Aktis Class Dreadnought - Iinama
6 light Cruisers, 8 destroyers

3rd Battlegroup:
DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Vassiyll
DME Asdull Class Battlecruiser - Xavund
DME Norii Class Battlecruiser - Norii
DME Valirr Class Heavy Cruiser - Furid
DME Kalin Class Heavy Cruiser - Dakuns
DME Kalin Class Heavy Cruiser - Kalin
5 light Cruisers, 17 destroyers

4th Battlegroup:
DME Davir Class Battlecruiser - Saken
DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Orillir
DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Likirri
DME Valirr Class Heavy Cruiser - Rikill
DME Korvil Class Heavy Cruiser - Urisi
DME Korvil Class Heavy Cruiser - Uzhni
DME Valirr Class Heavy Cruiser - Furid
4 light Cruisers, 15 destroyers

5th Battlegroup:
DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Kasinn
DME Vassiyll Class Battlecruiser - Vuursh
DME Norii Class Battlecruiser - Dassir
DME Ovaes Class Heavy Cruiser - Frissyl
DME Valirr Class Heavy Cruiser - Fasir
DME Valirr Class Heavy Cruiser - Yazhif
3 light Cruisers, 16 destroyers

Air Force: The air force of the Realm is a mediocre force, all told. What planes they do have are small in number, but well maintained and are continuously upgraded and updated with the latest technology available. Primarily used in scouting, there have been limited investigations into the use of aircraft for offensive purposes as well, such as machine gunning infantry formations in pursuit operations.

History of the Realm

Rolls:
12 + 6: Territory - Your nation is magnificently sized, a premiere empire of the day. There are vast lands to go around.
20 - Tech: Your nation is the premier technological leader of the day. One of the earliest adopters if not the creator of industrialization and modern scientific research, your nation leads the world in technological advancement.
11 - Army Size: Your army is decently sized, and is maintained year-round.
17 + 3 - Economy: Your economy is world-class, and the nation is in the middle of an economic boom. You are seen as a land of opportunity. The nation can fund anything it wants, almost.
14 - Production: Your nation is somewhat majority industrial, with decent resource exploitation.
17 - Navy Size: Your navy is of respectable size, with a large merchant train and a large military portion.
7 - Airforce Size: You have a few biplanes.
17 - 5 - Magic: Your nation is above average. Nothing exceptional, but you stay ahead of the chaff and other low liers. You may be advanced in theory but lack the means or structure to implement - or you may have ample capacity for production, and limited sophistication in doing so, or anything else.
1 + 1 - Mobilization: It takes the good part of a year to mobilize.

Traits:
A Nation of Learning: Tracing back to its ancient roots, the Realm, its people, culture, and even most of the cultural elite, have embraced science, the arts, and learning in general. Today, as it has been for millenia, the Realm devotes vast sums of money to research and development, to sponsoring the arts, schools of engineering, and more. The Realm is the technological leader of the world, and is determined to maintain their lead at all costs. Etremaden sciences - hard and soft, engineering, arts, and more are renowned. The nation advances technologically faster than its rivals, their prowess with technology a match for the formidable arcane might of the empires of Kratoria and Anvegad.

Masters of Artillery: For centuries the cornerstone of the Realm’s military might, the artillery has continued to play a crucial role in the Realm’s land forces. Much of the military infrastructure on land is devoted to training, supplying, and equipping the nation’s artillery corps, Etremaden engineering producing the finest guns in the world, and their schools producing the finest gunners. However, this comes at the expense of much of the rest of the army, the regular infantry representing a far smaller proportion of the army than their contemporaries, and militias - decently trained but not full time professionals - make up the bulk of Etresna’s foot soldiers.

Honor Code: The Etremaden are known for almost fanatical fervor in combat, rarely if ever fleeing, surrendering only if all hope is lost and resistance is futile. To surrender when one could have fought on and forced the foe to pay for their victory in blood is a great shame - to surrender without fighting at all is the greatest of shames. The Realm’s soldiers will retreat, given the order, but a foe rushing their trenches will rarely find their forces fleeing, and even more rarely will they surrender. A platoon of soldiers, lost within enemy territory, is expected to fight their way back to friendly lines, or to inflict as much damage as possible - unless such an attempt would result in naught but their own deaths. This culture of honorable surrender and its intricacies are often lost on foreigners, who know only of the terrible treatment often suffered by prisoners taken in what the Etremaden deem dishonorable circumstances, and many foreign soldiers too will fight to the death to avoid capture.

Armed Populace: The people of the realm, the non-uniformed, arms-bearing citizen militia, make up the vast bulk of the Realm’s ground forces. Well over half of the population are well armed, with rifles, pistols, and even machine guns, and do not shy away from using or threatening to use them. An invader of the realm would find a rifle behind every blade of grass, every tree trunk, a hundred fifty million barrels aimed in their direction - but the same is true of the government. Widespread public outcry, opposition to an unpopular government policy, or anything else will almost certainly result in the government backing down. The Raijen is hard pressed to lead her nation into a war it no longer desires, unless the people can be made to seek war once more.

Infamous Origins: Dark mountain stuff, will finish later. Established magic people dislike them.
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Foreign Relations:

[MrDidact]

The Kratorian Empyreum

Name of Nation: The Kratorian Empyreum, The First Civilization, The Heirdom of Heaven, The Kingdom of Kingdoms, The Pantheon Realm (Edits in progress)

Government

Imperial Monarchy

Since it's inception, the Imperium has been ruled by the royal dynasty of House Valerion, whose progenitor, Aelyx the Great, won the right to rule over the great Kratorian city-states through guile, diplomacy, and strength of arms. All the other Empyrean demigods bent the knee to him, and he became the first High King of Kratoria. His firstborn son came into the throne after him and then his eldest granddaughter, every succeeding monarch ruling for decades or even centuries due to the divine blood that flowed in their veins. For most of Kratoria's history, the Imperator of the Empyreum had retained great authority, though the manner of this authority differed greatly as the Empyreum changed and evolved. Most Imperators delegated great lands and honors to the Primarchs but a few reigned supreme over the Empyreum, curtailing the rights of the high nobility greatly. In recent generations, as Kratoria's Empire waned in size, the Imperator was forced to make concessions to other governmental bodies as balances against the Crown or risk losing the throne entirely.

The succession of the Crown is primarily determined by equal primogeniture. If the Imperator has more than one spouse, their first spouse will be known as the Royal Consort and their children will have preference over the others. The secondary or tertiary children will inherit if the primary heirs no longer can do so, whether they be deemed ineligible or unsuitable in some way, abdicate their claim, or take up other obligations. A Crown Prince may also lose their claim if they are disowned and exiled by the Imperator, but such is an incredibly rare occurence. Another heir may claim the throne by challenging the heir apparent whether in combat or with the backing of the Great Houses and Senate, but such was uncommon for most of the Empyreum's history. However, in recent years with the declining fertility and potency of Empyrean blood, it has become somewhat more commonplace for the heir apparent to prove their magical dominance over other claimants, as none of the Great Houses would accept the leadership of a lesserborn.

The monarch of Kratoria, in addition to being titled the High King and Imperator also has the title of Lord of Blackwyrm Hoard, Son of the Primordial Fire, and Protector of the Realm. As Lord of the Hoard, the Imperator is also the de-facto head of House Valerion, the Dragonborn descendants of Valerion the Bloodwyrm who was the son Mother Silveria and her one-time consort Balerion the Black, himself a son of the Earth Mother Terra and Vermithrax Starbane, the First Dragon. Besides the Great Primarch Houses, Lord Valerion is owed the fealty of other houses who claim descent not from the heavens but from the primordial earth and even the abyss below. Even without the Great Houses, the Lord of the Hoard can raise at least a million fighting men and women from his demesne and has wealthy lands to live on. Though in practice, while the Imperator holds the title of Lord of the Hoard, a kinsman, almost always the eldest child, is often given the lordship of the Imperial Province of the ancestral Valerion keep of Blackwyrm Hoard to rule in Imperator's name as the Prince of Princess of the Hoard. Over time, being titled Prince of the Hoard has become synonymous with being heir apparent to the Empyreal Throne and the Prince of the Hoard holds great influence and power in the Empyreum.

As Son of the Primordial Fire, The Imperator is also one of the most important religious figures in the Imperium. The Divine Hierarch must give their blessing to the Imperator to rule the Empyreum, but like many of the noble houses, the Lord of House Valerion is acclaimed as a demigod on earth. He is not outright worshiped, but many Kratorians invoke his name as a prayer for blessings or guidance, especially those who live in the Imperial province. Thus, the Imperator has a divine mandate to rule and is revered as no other ruler of a nation is. Even peoples in distant lands and nations look to the Imperator of Kratoria with awe, and those who count him an enemy must give at least their begrudging respect. The air of authority that the Imperators of the Empyreum have cultivated over their millennia-length reign gives the Imperator great power on the political stage.

The Imperator isn't just a political and cultural leader. He is first and foremost a military one. As Lord Protector of the Empyreum, he is the defender of the holy lands and the shield of the children of the gods. He is the supreme general of the Empyreal Legions, even if most generalship duties are delegated to the Lord Marshall and his subordinates. For the majority of Kratoria's history, the holder of the Empyreal Throne has always marched to battle alongside the fighting men and women of the Empyreum for as long as they could, clad in black and gold armor with sword in hand. The gunpowder age saw the decline of this practice but even today, Empyreal Princes and even a few Princesses are expected to earn their spurs in the armed forces and lead legionaries to glory. Even still, the Imperator is given mastery of vast armies. All of the Great Houses are expected to come to his aid when he calls the banners, and the Empyreal Army is a standing force that swears direct loyalty to the crown. If the Imperator is somehow indisposed or unable to uphold his martial duties, another may hold the title of Protector of the Realm in his stead and is thus given the military powers and obligations of the Imperator.

The Empyreal Senate

The Senate holds many powers of its own, at least on paper. The ability for the Senate to enforce them often relies on the support of the nobility, the Empyreal Council, and the Imperator themselves in acquiescing to their requests. Oftentimes the Imperator, with his influence and connections, is able to help pass his will through the chambers. But sometimes if enough of the Senate rallies, they can curtail the Imperator's powers to a certain extent. Such occasions are difficult to achieve however. Since the days of the Peacemaker however, the Senate has enjoyed a return to many privileges and powers that were overturned by more autocratic Valerions. The Great Houses and the guilds of the Empyreum also have their own influences in the Senate, and the political maneuvering in the senatorial chambers is often an extension of conflicts and feuds ongoing between noble families and powerful organizations in the Empyreum.

The Senate's primary purpose is that of a legislative body, and the regulations they impose are usually of a financial and administrative nature for the maintenance of the diminished but still vast territories that the Imperium holds sway over. The Imperator can overturn whatever laws the Senate passes if he deigns not to sign it, and the Senate's writ only applies to the Empyreum as a whole, thus the Primarchs and their Archons have jurisdiction over matters that affect only their domains. Subsequently, many of the provinces have their own provincial Senates though the customs of these bodies differ by region. While the King and his Empyreal Council retain many significant powers, including the ability to levy a tax and declare war, these declarations can be nullified by a majority vote in both chambers of the Senate. It is has been long been found that if a King wishes to call the banners or collect taxes, the consent of the nobility is often required, thus the Senate came to formally gain these balancing powers. The King can also create law by royal decree, but the Senators can likewise band together to nullify passage. As such, while the King or Queen holds much sway over the nation, it behooves the Imperator to at least court the Senate's favor

The Senate can also curtail the King's judicial powers such as revocation of titles, imprisonment, execution, and banishment, a check against the Imperator's power that grew out of the disastrous reign of the Mad Queen. If there is a lack of royal decree and the Imperator is somehow indisposed, the Senate can elect a council of regents to rule for an incapable or minority-age monarch and any potential Lord Protector must be confirmed by them. The Senate must also swear fealty to the Imperator for their reign to be considered legitimate. In times of a succession crisis, the Senate has the power to elect which heir will inherit but this heir must then gain the oaths of fealty from the Great Houses and the other royals in addition to a majority of Senator votes. In extreme circumstances, the Senate may vote to strip the High King or Queen of their crown but this has only happened once in Kratorian history, and the Mad Queen refused to step down.

The Senate is made of two chambers, the House of Freeholders and the House of Citizens. In the House of Freeholders, every full lord is allowed to send a representative to speak for them, usually a younger child, sibling, or cousin if they do not live close to the capital themselves. Knightly houses that are influential enough may gain a seat in the Senate by special dispensation and must be confirmed by the Imperator and the both chambers of the Senate. The wealth, power, and influence an Empyrean house wields is often directly correlated to how much influence their Senatorial representative has in the House of Freeholders. While a minor lord has a vote on matters in the Senate, the high Archon families and Primarch bloodlines head mighty coalitions that struggle for power and dominance in the House. The House of Freeholders is the upper chamber of the Senate and has the power to overturn what is decided in the House of Citizens if a majority is reached.
Thus any new laws needs must be approved by the nobility before they become law in the Empyreum.

The members of the House of Citizens are elected by the people of the territory they represent but are almost always made up of veterans, guildsmen, philosophers, clerics, poets, champions, scholars, and their like. Many of whom are second sons, landed knights, or gentry themselves. Citizen Senators are more numerous than Freeholder Senators, as while each noble house has one representative, every one of the hundreds and hundreds of Empyreal prefectures has their representative in the Senate. Thus while members of both houses are officially Senators, members of the lower House of Citizens are commonly referred to as Prefects. And while the Archons and Primarchs hold sway over the Freeholders, the Citizens are heavily influenced by Prefects with ties to the major guilds, the temples, wealthy merchants, and other powerful groups.

And while no level of Empyreal government is immune from political wheeling and dealing, it is at its most blatant in the House of Citizens. Bribery and blackmail are common, and it is not unheard of for duels to be called on the floor. In prefecture elections, all free citizens who are property-owners of majority age are allowed to vote, though the vast majority of Empyreal citizens still cannot choose their prefect due to their serfdom and lack of wealth and indentured peons have even less rights. Despite this, Prefects do much to court the favor of the commons and keep them happy, recognizing the favor of the commons is important to good order. The Speaker of the Senate is the body's representative on the Empyreal Council and is chosen by the Prefects from their own ranks. They are often accorded one of the most influential officials in the Empyreum. This check from the House of Citizens against the Freeholders arose from Aegon the Good's patronage of a lowly slave to one of his top advisers and a leader of the Senate, and has remained in practice since.

Magistrates and Justice

Though the Imperator and all the lords beneath him retain the privilege to pass judgement, many of them delegate their authority to magistrates to act on their behalf when judging both civil disputes and criminal offenses within their domains, though often for the most serious of occasions they will sit in judgement themselves. This tradition grew as the Empyreum expanded and the feasibility of a lord adjudicating every dispute became unwieldy. However the nobility have never fully relinquished the right to pass judgement, and accord it one of their highest privileges as lords. Thus, Magistrates are commonly either secondary heirs of a House or loyal servants of a noble family and disagreements between a Magistrate and the lord who appointed them are very uncommon.

However while the Empyreum began as one nation, it grew out of many others, who themselves had provinces and regions with their particular customs and laws. Aelyx the Great never instituted a uniform common law, letting the lords rule over matters of justice. On royal progress, if he passed judgement, he took care to weigh local custom and tradition in making judgement. Only in the age of Visenya I, Aelyx's granddaughter, was there a uniform code of law across the realm and even then there are many local customs and laws not under the Imperium's purview. As such, every lord of a territory is expected to either act as a magistrate or empower one themselves to decide matters according to the peculiarities of their local codes.

Their rulings can be overturned if an appeal to a higher magistrate is accepted, and the highest judicial authority in the land besides the Imperator themselves is their Empyreal Magistrate who must often mediate disputes between the great lords of the realm and hears civil petitions from those who live directly in the High King's domains. Landed knights and gentry must appeal to their liege lord or their magistrate for justice, who can be overruled by their Archon's Magistrate, who can be overruled by the Primarch Magistrate, who can be overruled by the Empyreal Magistrate. It is extremely uncommon for a ruling made at the lordly level to advance all the way to the Empyreal level however, and higher courts are often selective of which cases they hear from a lower court, the lord's representative taking care not to displease the vassals too much. Nobles furthermore can only be judged by a magistrate of higher rank than themselves. Lords are judged by Archons, who are judged by their Primarchs, who can only be judged by the Crown. The Imperator's Lord Justicar is empowered to help ensure the King's Laws are enforced and employs a legion of Empyreal Arbiters to present the Crown's cases in trials. But the Empyreal Magistrate decides the truth of cases, unless the King or the Viceroy sits in judgement.

In days long past, the Clerics of the temples could pass judgement on Kratorians as representatives of the Pantheon, but Visenya the Arbiter ended the practice and now holy inquests can only be called against members of the clergy class themselves. However if the Grand Hierarch deigns to declare someone an apostate or heretic, or grants divine absolution to a criminal, their word carries much weight in judicial proceedings. Nobles accused of crimes will often escape with fines and lesser punishments, and only those who have committed the most heinous crimes will face exile or death. Common-folk have much less preference under the law however. Scourging for disobedient serfs and loss of fingers for thieves are common punishments, and stocks and crow-cages are still popular in certain fiefs. Being sentenced to serve in the Heretic's Legion or the Apostate Watch, or being bound in peonage are often given as alternatives to exile or death.

In Kratoria, barristers can earn a degree in law from a university and earn accreditation from the Justicar Guild but it is not a requirement for one to represent an accused criminal. Thus common-folk often appeal to learned friends or turn to charlatan advocates to speak on their behalf, though some Magistrates will provide a barrister to defend any accused free of charge. An accused can prove their innocence by other means than a formal trial however. Any nobleman has the right to demand trial by combat in civil disputes or criminal accusations, and strength of arms will determine who prevails. Common-folk may request one as well, though it is up to the Magistrate's discretion. Peons accused of crimes often receive summary judgement unless a freeman or their master intercedes on their behalf. However all people who dwell in Kratoria, even non-citizens, have the right to demand trial by ordeal, in which they will be asked to perform some dangerous task or face some perilous challenge to prove they have the favor of the gods and are thus innocent. The Imperator also has the privilege of granting royal pardons to those convicted of a crime, absolving them of all punishment, though this is almost never without some price. Only the Senate may try the Imperator for a crime, and this has only happened on a few occasions throughout Kratoria's millenia-long existence. In matters regarding members of the royal family, only the King can pass judgement. Likewise, the King is the only authority who can judge Nemeses, the most powerful and most secretive of the King's servants.

The Empyreal Crown Council

The Imperator may rule, but often a monarch leaves much of the day to day matters of ruling to the Empyreal High Council. From the days of Aelyx the Conqueror, there has been a council to advise the King and help him rule. Most powerful of these is the Lord Viceroy, who is Prime Minister of Kratoria and is the Imperator's right hand in all matters. The Viceroy is considered the leader of the House of Freeholders and manages many of the day to day operations of the Empyreum. The Viceroy can lead armies, dispense justice, and even sit on the Empyreal Throne in the King's stead. The Speaker of the Senate also has a seat on the Adamant Table and acts as a liaison between the Crown and the Senate. Since the Speaker is always from the House of Citizens, he is even considered a representative of the commons to the High King, even if only a handful of Speakers were ever truly common-born.

The Temples of the Pantheon are also guaranteed a representative on the Council, a concession Visenya the Arbiter made to the Chantry that has been upheld ever since. Sometimes the Hierarch, the leader of the Chantry himself, will sit at the Adamant Table to advise the King on matters of faith and the divine ancestors but they will often appoint a Cleric to sit on their behalf as a Lord Prophet instead.

Besides the Lord Prophet, the Sages and Lectors of Kratoria's universities and academies choose someone from their number to represent them on the Council as the Grand Sage. The Grand Sage will offer their expertise in scientific and scholarly matters to the King and has several ministries that attends to matters such as public infrastructure or healthcare.

The last organization guaranteed a seat on the Council is the Circle of Magi. The leader of the Circle, the Archmagus, the strongest Mage in Kratoria and the world, has been an adviser to the High King since the days of Aelyx the First. The Archmagus consults with the Imperator on all matters relating to the arcane and magical and is the Court Sorcerer for the Empyreal Palace.

Besides these luminaries there are other officials that the High King or Queen appoints to sit on the Council. The Lord Chamberlain is the Empyreal Steward and Majordomo of the Empyreal Court, though he often delegates these court duties to a subordinate. More importantly, he has great influence over positions in the court and the King's household and is considered an essential political gatekeeper for any who wish to deal with the King or his Councillors. The administration of Empyreus, the capital city, often falls to the Chamberlain as well, though the Chamberlain can empower a citizen to act as Lord Mayor. The Lord Chamberlain has control over the Empyreal Times, a state-run newspaper that is the oldest and one of the largest such publications on the planet. Some may see him as a simple chief of staff, but the Lord Chamberlain has subtle but great power in the Empyreum.

The Lord Chancellor is the King's premier diplomat, entrusted with matters of foreign policy and diplomatic relations. The Lord Chancellor oversees all the embassies Kratoria has throughout the globe, meets with heads of state, appoints Heralds to treat with officials from foreign governments, hires Knights Herald to ride across the kingdom to deliver the King's words and royal tidings, and ensures the loyalty of the Primarchs. Without a Chancellor, the Empyreum simply couldn't run.

The Lord Justiciar is charged with helping implement the King's royal decrees of law and enforcing them throughout the realm. In addition to the Arbiters who present royal cases in trial, the Knights Justicar patrol the kingdom keeping order and pursuing wanted criminals. The Lord Justicar likewise has authority over the many prisons in the Empyreum and the King's Justice, the royal headsman, is a subordinate of his. The provinces, prefectures, and towns of the Empyreum employ their own Reeves, but the king's law supersedes all of them should conflict arise. The Lord Justicar can also assume a military command as leader of the penal division, the Heretic's Legion.

The Lord Treasurer is in charge of all matters relating to the King's tax policies and commerce. He helps oversee the royal accounts, runs the royal mints, ensures vassals pay their taxes, audits the Empyreum's expenses, helps determine fiscal policy, coordinates with the guilds and bank, and negotiates trade deals with foreign nations. The Treasurer also oversees several ministries related to industry and commerce. To many, the Lord Treasurer is a simple miser but it is he who is invested with the power Dragon's Hoard, and is thus one of the mightiest officials in the realm.

The Lord Inquisitor is the royal spymaster, the High King's shadowy left hand. Long have Empyrean families employed networks of spies and informers to play their game of thrones. The Lord Inquisitor does the same on the King's behalf. The first Inquisitor was Aelyx's half-brother Valarr the Blind, who was said to see with a thousand pairs of eyes though he had none himself. The spy networks have only grown since then and the Empyreal Inquisitor is rightly considered to be one of the great covert powers of the world, with eyes and ears in every nation and every court. The Ravenry is the official name for Inqusitor's network, whose secret agents are known as Ravens.

The Empyreal Inquisition, made up of Detective Inquisitors led by Knight Inquisitors are the secret police of the Empyreum, seeking out seditionists and traitors against the High King. Their methods are often brutal and ruthless, but effective, and the Inquisitors have attained a notorious reputation in the Empyreum. Finally there are the Assassins, known officially as the Empyreal Coroners. The Coroners are masters of stealth and the art of the quiet kill, and are feared throughout the Empyreum and by the High King's enemies. The Coroners started off as an independent assassin's guild, but Valarr the Blind brought them into the royal fold, a solution to problems that needed to be quietly but decisively solved. Sometimes, the Coroners may contract their services to other parties but owe tithes to the Imperator on any jobs performed and swear him direct fealty.

The Lord Marshall is the Imperator's highest general. He is chosen from among the admirals and generals of Kratorian High Command and is entrusted with crafting strategies in war and developing military policy. He has discretion to appoint or dismiss commanders on the King's commission and oversees the operation of Kratoria's military academies, fortresses, and naval ports. The Lord Marshall coordinates with the four Sentinels on matters of homeland defense and selects guilds for military contracts. He is the chairman of High Command Council, who then delegate authority over the navy to the admiralty and the Lord High Admiral and the command of the army to the high generals.

The Empyreal Legions are one of the few institutions that have discretion to judge their own personnel and run their own penal facilities. And the Citadel Legion act as the Reeves, the military police, of Empyreus. In times of war the military's power grows even more. It is Legionaries who act as Reeves in areas controlled by the military and the military takes over administration of hospitals, fire brigades, engineering, and other such functions in combat zones. The Lord Marshall is one of the most powerful figures in the martial society of the Empyreum and is a highly coveted position, nearly as much so as Lord Viceroy, especially in times of war. And while the King holds the fealty of every soldier, it is known that the Legions usually have loyalty to the Lord Marshall as well. Thus there has been more than one brother, second son, or nephew appointed as Lord Marshall who has tried to leverage their power into a Crown. Despite this, the Lord Marshall remains an essential part of the High Council and the operation of the Kingdom.

The Lord Praetor of the Praetorian Guard also has a seat on the High Council. The Lord Marshall may be the leader in matters of the military as a whole as well as national defense, but the Lord Praetor is charged with the direct defense of the Empyreal Palace and of the royal family. The Lord Praetor must be one who has undying loyalty to the King, and must be willing to give his life for them. The Praetor may not wield great political power, but he has the elite Praetorian Guard under his command, and is the most esteemed of an already legendary and vaunted order. The Lord Praetor is often considered one of the greatest warriors of their age.

The thirteenth permanent adviser is the Royal Consort, the first and foremost of the Empyreal spouses whether they are the King or Queen Consort. They are almost always a royal themselves or a member of the Great Houses, and wield particular political influence in the Empyreum. Aelyx the First was the one who said a wise King heeded his Queen, and every monarch after him has had their spouse on the Council, though they did not always follow their advice.

Each of the Monarch's advisors have ministers running various ministries beneath them such as education, agriculture, infrastructure, and all other issues of concern to the throne. The Imperator may often appoint non-titled advisors to sit on the Council as well, oftentimes a sibling, spouse, or heir. Occasionally, even a Nemesis is appointed to sit on the Council and advise the King, though this doesn't happen often and the Councillors often jockey against the Nemeses for the favor of the King. In summation, a position on the council offers both great prestige and power and many lords and ladies vie for a spot at their royal liege's side. The permanent 13 seats on the Council is a deliberate choice, for the 13 Great Houses that bowed to Aelyx, and often the majority if not the entirety of the Council are members of Primarch families.

Empyrean Feudalism

Though the Imperator may reign over Kratoria as a whole, he does not rule most of his realm directly, and the vast majority of the Imperium is governed in a feudal manner. Beneath the Imperial Dynasty are the Thirteen Great Houses, run by Primarchs who trace their descent to the thirteen most powerful deities of the Kratorian Pantheon. They swear fealty directly to the throne. Every Primarch has a variety of Archons sworn to them, who also claim blood from among the many gods of their faith. Every Archon has his own vassal lords and those lords have their own bannermen and so forth, the purity and strength of the bloodine determining one's position on the feudal ladder until one reaches landed knights, who either have very little Empyrean blood or none at all.

Kratorian citizens can be divided into three broad castes. Empyrean Nobles are members of the Patrician caste, and there is a strong Patrician bias in practically every social and governmental institution in the Empyreum. Beneath the Patricians are the Plebeians, commoners who own property and have voting rights. Plebs are often looked down on by Patricians due to their humble origins, but in recent generations Plebeian professionals have come to great prosperity. Plebs are beginning to be represented in the officers corps and the priesthood, have gained acclaim as athletes and artists, and the most wealthy have even gained Empyrean blood through marriage.

The industrial revolution was chiefly responsible for the empowerment of the Plebeians as a caste due to economic prosperity, and many believe that the Patricians deliberately keep manufacturing limited in the Empyreum in order to prevent Plebeian wealth from overshadowing their own. Beneath the Plebeians are the Proletarians or Proles. Proles are also commonborn but unlike Plebs, they are renters or tenant farmers and do not own their own land or property. Thus, they do not have the right to vote but still retain certain protections and rights as Kratorian citizens. Proles can become Plebs if they earn enough to buy property but this is difficult to achieve for many and rural Plebs would still have to pledge fealty to their local lord. The abolition of slavery after the loss of the colonies gave way to the Proletarian caste, who were initially simple serfs but were steadily granted rights as the centuries passed and both the Peacemaker and her son the Young King have proved popular with the Proles for doing so. Beneath even the Proles are Peons, who are indentured servants and are not considered full citizens.

The governance of the Imperial territories varies. In most countryside fiefs, the lord rules over his proles with much authority. But in many of the Imperium's settlements, especially the former city-states of old, the citizens of these great cities, most of whom are property-owning Plebeians, often have voting privileges while the reigning lord retains certain powers. A few Imperial citizens even live in clan structures, with their chieftain acting as a petty lord. In each of the provinces and prefects, the manner in which leaders are chosen and the land is governed can differ wildly. Once Imperial rule was consolidated in Old and New Kratoria, the Imperator took hold of a few choice provinces but left the vast majority of the conquered land to draw up for the Primarchs and their vassals. In the Age of Conquest, a nation that submitted was allowed to retain autonomy and self-governance while paying homage and tribute to the Imperator while a conquered people often had a Lord Governor installed to rule for the Imperator. Those days are past and the Lord Governor of the Imperial Raj has long since become a Primarch, the only Primarch to originate from the East and not the West.

Species

A great many races are part of the Imperium's domain, especially in the heartlands it spread out of, from fair nymphs to swift centaurs and mighty cyclopes. Like the Empyreans, it is believed that the Old Gods created these races with their own blood. The early Archons of Old Kratoria were quick to make their brethren bend the knee, and these races came to serve the demigods well in both war and peace. Of course, some of the nonhumans became Archons in their own right, with divine blood in their veins to match their humanoid brethren. The nonhumans of Old Kratoria have just as many rights as human subjects and are overwhelmingly loyal to their lords and the Empyreum. These loyal armies were a great boon to the Empyreans as they spread across the largely wild frontiers of what would come to be New Kratoria, and helped bring other races into the fold.

Normal humans make up a slight majority of the Imperium's subjects, with around six out of every ten Imperials being a human. The humans of Kratoria come in all the varieties of humanity due to long millennia of immigration, voluntarily or otherwise. After millennia of beneficial co-existence and Imperial rule, the great majority of the Imperium's citizens of all races live in amity with strong loyalty to the throne. The Imperium is among the most populous nations in the world thanks to its size and wealth. For the purposes of demographic categorization, the humans of Kratoria are organized into tribes, a tradition that has persisted since the Age of Cities. There are thirteen major tribes that together make up ninety percent of the human population, with several more minority tribes. All of the tribes arose from shared ethnic and cultural traits fostered by their Empyrean rulers in the Age of Cities. Each of the major tribes is the majority of the population in their native province, but minority populations of other tribes are present throughout the Empyreum. Each tribe receives equitable protection and liberty under the crown's law, but membership in a tribe is an important part of a Kratorian citizen's cultural identity.

As for the Empyreans themselves, in ages past they were indisputably the most powerful race to walk the Earth. They claimed direct descent from the Old Gods themselves, and their claims were hard to deny. The most powerful of them could shatter castle gates with one mighty blow and lay waste to a hundred men by themselves. They were effectively immortal, and fell only if killed, which was no mean feat. Many of them wielded terrible magic abilities. The first-tier Empyreans, the Aureates, had the most pure blood ties to their divine ancestors, and they were careful to marry within themselves to keep their bloodlines strong. It was rare for there to be more than several hundred of these pureborn at any one time. But while they married each other, the Aureates had the appetites of men and often lay with mortals. Thus were born Empyreans of lesser blood purity. Empyreans of the second-tier, Argentum, were not as strong or swift but still much more powerful than any normal human, with strength, endurance, speed, and senses beyond normal limits. They typically number in the low thousands and lived centuries. Empyreans of the third-tier, Aeruca, were the weakest, but still had physical abilities beyond a mortal. There are also the most numerous with many thousands being officially recognized as such.

Humanoid Empyreans often interbreed with the nonhuman races and still do, and it is unknown just how many minotaurs, harpies, gorgons, or nymphs can truthfully boast of an Empyrean in their bloodline. The same goes for normal humans, for many accomplished personages will claim to be an Empyrean by birth and use their achievements as proof of their status as an Aeruca. Today Argentum and Aeruca are as prominent as they had been in ages past, but the Aureates have for the most part stayed out of the public eye. Many say that with the decline of magic, their own physical and magical powers had waned greatly though they retain their supernatural beauty and longevity and are still much more powerful than their lower-tier brethren. Argentum are still superhuman but have also weakened while Aeruca are now as naturally strong and swift as mortals at absolute peak fitness. In modern days, some Empyreans remain generally powerful while others train to specialize in certain skills. And there are Empyreans who still retain naturally advanced cognitive abilities and intelligence or dabble in magic. It is possible for an Empyrean to advance a tier, but this involves magical ritual that is dangerous and in most cases, forbidden.

Morghul's Bane is commonly cited as the reason for declines in fertility and magic among the Empyrean population. In recent centuries, it has become more difficult for Aureates to conceive, and even when a child is born, it is no longer guaranteed that the child will be born an Aureate or even a true Empyrean at all. Thus those Aureates that are born are prized greatly, and it has become more common for a secondary heir to displace a kinsman in inheritance because the former was an Aureate while the latter was not. However, even physically healthy Empyreans are not wholly free of issues. It has been noted by alienists that a larger portion of Empyreans have been diagnosed with personality issues such as paranoia, narcissism, or wrath, than in previous generations. Whether this is due to Morghul's Bane, the effects of aristocratic lifestyles, or simply changes in psychotherapy definitions remains up for debate among clerics, philosophers, and alienists.

Culture

For an empire as large and diverse as it is, there cannot be said to be one single overriding culture for Kratoria, even among those who hail from the old city-states. Every city and every race in the Imperium has its own unique customs, traditions, and beliefs. But there are a few traits that knit the Imperial citizens together, from the lowest prole to the proudest prince.

There are many gods worshipped in Old and New Kratoria, some from the Kratorian pantheon and others held sacred by conquered peoples. Some citizens of the Empire pray to spirits, others to their ancestors, and even a few are said to venerate old, dark gods that are closer to monster than deity. But Kratoria is a universally spiritual nation, and religion is a fact of life. The nation is filled with shrines and monuments to hundreds of gods and deities, many erected in the dawn of civilization. When the Kratorians subjugated New Kratoria, they burned no temples and pulled down no idols, and for that they came to be loved. All faiths are tolerated, and one can even hate the gods. Denying their existence is the only heresy, for to deny the gods is to deny the Semideum. In all things the gods are consulted and prayed to, and proper rites for births, marriages, and funerals are essential to Kratorians.

Besides the Senate, one of the largest balancing powers against the High King is the Chantry of the Kratorian Pantheon. There are hundreds of gods in the Pantheon and all of them are represented by sects of varying sizes and are made up of all manner of godsworn, from humble traveling clerics who minister to countryside hamlets to ministerial clerics who preach at grand temples to the holy brothers and sisters of monastic orders to the Prophets who speak for their patron god on the mortal plane. Prophets are appointed to represent their order in the Conclave. The Conclave appoints the Hierarch, who is meant to have a voice for all of the gods. The upper leadership of the Chantry is dominated by the Semideum and the Chantry holds enormous cultural influence.

The Chantry is ensured various rights and protections under the law, with its wealth exempt from taxation and nobles even make a game of outdoing each other in donation to the Chantry. Any newly crowned Imperator must have been baptized and blessed by the Hierarch lest they risk looking illegitimate, and the Imperator can encourage enormous social change with their words. Only the Hierarch and the other members of the Conclave are allowed to serve as mediums for a supplicant to the Oracles, who are said to receive visions directly from the gods. The Hierarch is always ensured a seat on the Imperial Council. In the Age of Conquest, the proselytizing of the Clerics helped spread the Pantheon's reach to all the lands that the Imperium touched in war and trade. They are by no means a majority outside of the Imperium, but the Grand Cleric speaks to millions of followers world wide still and followers of the Pantheon outnumber all other faiths in the Imperium.

Besides the gods, citizens of Old and New Kratoria give much renown to art, sports, intellect, and the beauty of the natural world. Large marketplaces and training grounds are ubiquitous in Kratorian cities, but so are universities, libraries, sporting fields, hospitals, amphitheaters, museums, menageries, and massive gardens depending on who the city's patron is. The styles and traditions of culture vary but the national pride in Kratoria's ancient works remains strong throughout the Imperium. Nearly all of the constructions considered to be Wonders of the World stand in the Imperium's domain. Statues, monuments, and grand towers, some dating back to the age of city-states are a common sight. Kratorian cities are marvels of classical architecture and engineering. Elegant skyscrapers rise in the Imperium, all of them painstakingly planned to the smallest detail and constructed to be both beautiful and functional. Alongside the new construction, marble buildings of ancient districts and buildings from every era of history remain. All the major city have at least one distinctive monument by which to boast to all the others. In Minervaros, there is a great library that has stood since the dawn of civilization. In Heliopolis, the Solarium, the first of its kind, draws in tourists by the hundreds of thousands. And in Mercumes, the Ivory Baazar, the largest open-air marketplace in the world, has been open for more than two thousand years.

For Kratorians, honor is incredibly important. It is a reality that Kratorian nobles lie and scheme as much as any other class of ruling people. But to be publicly known as being dishonorable is akin to being socially exiled, as proper courtesy, protocol, and etiquette are held highly. Cultural norms vary, but all Kratorians recognize the notions of guest right, blood oaths, and honor duels, such concepts as these were formed out of necessity in the blood-letting of the era of city-states and still hold immense sway in Kratorian society. To break the code of guest right, to violate a sacred oath, or to tarnish the integrity of a trial by combat are crimes that are to be met with painful death, only defilement of a holy site or kinslaying are more grievous.

And indeed, family is sacrosanct to Kratorian citizens. Loyalty to blood is one of their highest values, another necessity from the bloody pre-Imperial age. This familial loyalty is also used to teach young Kratorians the importance of duty. Glory is important, but Kratorians must also serve their duty to their families, their lords, their gods, and their country. Betraying their duty and by extension their honor and the honor of those around them simply for the sake of advancement is seen to be incredibly shameful. A man without honor can hardly said to be a man at all. This societal commitment to honor, duty, and family is perhaps one of the biggest factors that has kept the Semideum nobility in power for millennia and the serfs happy with their subservience to them.

Despite the strong ethics and traditions of the Kratorians, Imperial citizens enjoy a great many personal liberties. Besides their religious liberties, the right to assembly, free speech, the free press, and several other protections were enshrined in the Imperial constitution over the years, motivated in large part by Kratoria's celebrated philosophers. Women are usually considered equal to men in legal rights and protections in most things, and equal primogeniture is practiced in matters of inheritance. As long as a Kratorian does their duty, abide by the King's peace and rule, and obey the law what they do in their private lives is usually considered private. Homosexual relationships are tolerated by the Chantry, though marriage can only be between a man and a woman and aristocrats are expected to marry in order to pass on their family legacy despite whatever proclivities they may have. It is common for a noble, both male and female, to have consorts outside of marriage and the children of these affairs are often raised in comfort and provided with education though they cannot inherit as long as trueborn heirs live. Many commoners often consider it an honor to bear a noble's child, and marrying a noble bastard is often an effective way to rise in Kratorian society.

This libertine attitude to sexuality is most apparent in the nobility, though the majority of Imperial citizens have a similar mentality. Inter-species relationships are far from rare, and the average peasant will see a homosexual man or woman as slightly eccentric at worst. Several notables and luminaries of Kratoria are known to openly keep harems filled with exotic concubines from all over the world. Polygamous marriage is also not unknown in Kratoria among the highborn of the Imperium. A nobleman's first marriage is usually arranged for political reasons but he can also take on more than one wife if it pleases him, though these are almost always nobles as well and the children of the first wife will have priority in inheritance over secondary wives. Women cannot marry more than one man. However it is possible for a woman to take another consort and bear trueborn children, should her husband be infertile. Her husbands kinsman may then lay with her, and the children will be adopted by the couple as the family's heirs. A woman who reigns over a holding as a lady who is infertile may also have her husband lay with a kinswoman to the same result. Understandably, these customs can lead to succession crises, which can be peaceably resolved by the Senate or the King's decree.

Out of all the various guilds, fellowships, and orders that play a role in the complex politics of the Kratorian Imperium, the Brotherhood of Magi is the oldest and most rooted in Kratorian tradition. It was the Magi who stood at the side of the first Kratorian kings and assisted them in all things, in the days when the Semideum had the strength of the gods and when magic was a powerful force in the world. The Magi often were Semideum themselves, masters of a wide variety of subjects due to their immortality and incredibly potent in ability due to their blood. The Magi were priests, scholars, scientists, artists, warriors, philosophers, and assassins in addition to being Sorcerers. Before the Imperial bureaucracy and the Chantry, it was the Magi who formed the backbone of society in the Old Kratorian city-states. Kratorian magic developed an almost infinite amount of schools, disciplines, and styles. Magi could see into the future, speak to the dead, enter the world of dreams, heal with a touch, curse with a look, and all manner of other gifts.

Becoming a Magi meant attaining an apprenticeship under a recognized Mage of at least Adept status. They would study the magical arts and many scholarly ones, even combat. Once they became a full-fledged Mage, they would have the recognized status as a user of arcane forces and the ability to vote in the Order's proceedings. Adepts could reach Veteran status once they became even more accomplished in their school, but at the top of the hierarchy are the Masters and Mistresses of the Mage Council, who are the most powerful sorcerers in the Brotherhood. The Archmagus is the most powerful of the Council, and is considered the Sorcerer Supreme of Kratoria and by extension, the world. For though native Imperials made up the majority of the Order, it was quite common for practitioners from around the world to journey to the Imperium to study under a Kratorian mage, and add to the already rich magical traditions with their unique practices. It was the Archmagus who was the most influential and powerful of Aelyx the Great's advisers, and since then the Archmagus has sat on the High Council to this very day. The Brotherhood's main duties were to shepherd the development of civilization and protect the mortal world from the dangers of black magic.

However the Brotherhood's influence waned over the course of the Imperium's history. The Brotherhood was the progenitor of many organizations and associations in Kratoria, but the rise of the Chantry sapped much of the religious influence the Magi had over Kratorian citizens. Furthermore there was a great influx of non-magical members in organizations such as the different universities and the Alchemist's Guild as the Imperium's needs expanded with their domains. Their connections were vast, but their omnipresent hold over Kratorian society slowly disappeared as lords and ladies saw the counsel of sages and clerics as less expensive and fraught with hidden conditions than the service of a Mage. Scandals and infighting regarding the Broterhood further damaged them.

But it was the gradual disappearance of magic that was the ensurer of the Magi's decline, and the Brotherhood has never recovered to its original might and power. However, the sheer amount of political connections that the Magi have engineered made them indispensable to the monarchy in order to maintain power and alliances and they retain a presence in both the royal court and the households of great lords to this day. For the most part, their powers have largely disappeared but Mages are often still consulted on matters of prophecy or to produce love potions and charms along with other minor magical feats. Some have entered entertainment and produced successful careers out of it, with one of the world's biggest carnivals being run by a Mage. Sorcerers are often hired to perform exorcisms as well and a few still continue their ancient duty of hunting predatory vampires, demons, nercomancers, and blood mages, for their combat abilities with their staves and other weapons are still the stuff of legend. Mage Artificers are still highly renowned for being able to use magic in creation of objects, and Semidean blades which only certain members of the Brotherhood know how to make are still prized by Kratorian nobles for their supernatural sharpness, durability, and balance.

Darker rumors regarding the Brotherhood have circulated in taverns and market squares. It is whispered that the Assassin's Guild and the Imperial Inquisition often make use of arcane agents for missions, or that several members of the Brotherhood have secretly turned to black magic in order to retain and gain power. One of the widest reported is that members of the Council have formed a secret society within the already mysterious Brotherhood called the Venatori, and that their ranks include many of the most powerful members of Kratorian society, all to mysterious and probably nefarious ends. Despite the weakened reputation of the Magi in Kratoria, the belief in magic still remains strong in the Imperium and soldiers will often carve symbols into their weapons or seek protective charms before going to war while average citizens practice a variety of old customs from eras when magic was common and powerful. Many believe that magic is not dead in the world, rather it is dormant and awaiting a reawakening.

History

Kratorian civilization is closely tied with that of the world, having been a party to every major era of history. Kratoria's origin is shrouded in myth and legend, but it is widely believed that it was the gods who first blessed Kratorian tribesmen with fire, and then later taught them how to tame the beasts of the land and work the fields, blessing their creations and chosen peoples with many natural riches and gifts. And it was said that years later, thousands of years ago, that the King of the Gods first laid with a mortal woman and bore the first demigod, the first Semideum. This Firstborn half-blood founded House Jovia, the oldest of the Semidean dynasties, and quickly carved out his own kingdom from the Kratorian heartlands and raised the first city-state.

The other gods quickly followed suit, planting their divine seed in as many fields as they could and many fiefdoms would rise in Old Kratoria in the generations that followed. The wars that they waged were innumerable but after a long era of struggle, three great houses would prove the strongest. The Kratorian city-states were pioneers in many ways, and Kratorian influence and culture soon made itself known all over the world as explorers and then traders went forth and shared song, art, and commerce with the peoples around them. The city-states began to spread, founding colonies in the lands around them with the Semideum bringing the mortal races under their rule. More houses and divine bloodlines would rise and enter legend, and all the while the Mages had a hand in it all.

And so Kratoria was powerful but fractured when one man was born who would change the world. His family was mighty in its own right but were not kings, though he did share blood with the Sky King and the Sea King. The youth could count the Black Lion and the Princeslayer among his forebears and was tutored by the famous Philosopher-Mage Merlanus. Even then, he was noted to be a charismatic, brave, talented, intelligent, driven, but also enigmatic youth. His name was Aelyx, and he would be one of the greatest heroes Kratoria would ever know, changing the course of history with his vision and brilliance. His father was killed in a conspiracy involving both the Sky and Sea king, who believed he had designs and ambitions to become a king himself and upset the balance of power. Aelyx swore revenge and raised a host, took a sorcerer to wife and seeking the aid of spirits of the earth, air, fire, and water as well as other withdrawn, mysterious, and ancient entities.

The wars were long and bloody but in the end Aelyx triumphed and declared himself the first High King and Imperator of Kratoria. The Dead King held out the longest, but soon bent the knee alongside the heirs of those that had killed Aelyx's father whom Aelyx had slew in combat. Aelyx now presided over the largest kingdom the world had known at that time and the first empire of its kind. He would drive even farther east, never losing a battle and gaining more and more land. Eventually, the wars ended for Aelyx after he took a wound from a poisoned blade after his last battle against the Black Empire. He lingered for some time but would then die, and his funeral was attended by millions. The Chantry would declare Aelyx to be a deity in his own right and the astrologers would enshrine him as a constellation for his magnificent contributions. It would be his heirs who would secure the Xanderos dynasty, further his conquests, and bring Kratorian culture to the zenith of its influence. It would be Kratoria who designated the calendar, who spread massive road networks all over the continent, and motivated all manner of movements in art and drama among countless other achievements. All because of Aelyx's initial grand vision.

Perhaps the greatest enemy the Imperium ever faced was the Black Empire, ruled by a dark lord who used black magic and who made a pact with the Old Ones. The Empire had ruled most of the world with an iron fist and was infamous for its cruelty, brutality, and unrelenting hunger for more. By comparison, Kratoria looked like quite the benign force. The Empire had made inroads into Kratorian territory, and it was a commander in one of their advance armies who had dealt Aelyx the poisonous blow that killed him. Their armies were just as vast as Kratoria's and their leaders also had great power, on par with the Semideum themselves. The Imperium saw the Black Empire not only as rivals, but as an existential threat to their society. The Empire had ground many proud civilizations into oblivion and enslaved many other peoples to hellish conditions, trying to erase their culture and religion and everything that made them a people. Kratoria could not brook this and so Kratoria gathered every ally they could and used every weapon they could get their hands on before going to war.

The wars lasted centuries, consuming many heroes and leaders and whole armies. Kratoria and the Black Empire fought tooth and nail back and forth, with the Imperium winning and losing and winning again in a violent and vicious cycle that consumed not one or two, but five Imperial monarchs. The casualties among soldiers were in the millions and the number of dead civilians on both sides were even higher. Eventually however it would be Aelyx's great-great-grandson Aegon I who would break the Black Empire. Many that were freed from the Empire's yoke would then swear fealty or friendship to the Imperium. And after the Empire's fall, the Imperium faced no significant resistance to their further imperial conquest. The breaking of the Empire was so integral to the Imperium's fortunes that High King Aegon declared the day of the Black Empire's destruction the beginning of a new era. His brother Prince Aemon was honored the same way their forebear was for his valorous action and death in battle, as it was he who threw himself on the Dark Lord's blade to save Aegon and slew the tyrant with his own sword. With his dying breath, the Dark Lord is said to have cursed the Imperium, saying that if the Imperium ever lost in war, the Imperium would lose its dominion of the world and Semideum would lose their power.

From then on Kratoria enjoyed almost undisputed hegemony of the known world. The empire stretched from west to east coast and from north to south, with almost the entirety of the globe falling under Kratoria's rule or control in some manner whether it be fealty or homage or a one-sided alliance. For over a thousand years Kratorian literature, art, money, and faith spread around the world while the Imperium built universities, temples, monuments, and public works all over the continent. All the roads lead to Kratoria and all the people of the world came to speak the common tongue as at least a second language and knew who the Kratorian pantheon were. It was a golden age for Kratoria and the Imperium, with many masterworks of philosophy, art, and science being produced as the Semideum became rulers of all they surveyed.

The beginning of the end of the colonial era came when Kratoria set its sights on Etresna. They sent forth a Herald to extract homage from the enlightened realm and he was murdered, in an act that infuriated Kratoria as it had never been seen before. A massive army was formed and Etresna was invaded as it had never seen before. Millions died on both sides in a war that dragged on for over a decade and ended when the Imperator was slain right before the Imperial army could sack the capital city. One of the commanders threw wildfire into the city while an assassin opened the enemy ruler's throat. In the ensuing chaos, the Imperial army withdrew from the field. They had lost a great part of their strength to attrition and battles and that had ripples throughout the Imperium's territories.

Strength had been drained from the frontier provinces in order to keep prosecuting the war against Etresna, and taxes had been raised across the empire, drawing much discontent and weakening the Imperium's position greatly. Furthermore, the Uruks had been disillusioned by the Semideum's loss in battle. But the current Imperator wanted to keep warring against Etresna and the protracted fighting in the lowlands would continue for generations. Rebellions began to rage across the colonies as the Imperium continued to extract taxes and levies to fight Etresna. This vicious cycle continued when the Imperium had to clamp down on these rebellions, fighting rebellious colonists and Etresna at the same time. The Semideum began arguing among themselves when before their strength had been in their unity against enemies. The Imperator's brother by another wife of their father began making a play for the throne, gathering support as the Lord Marshall Kovax led the Uruks in rebellion. The Imperium was split in different factions and directions as the clerics, universities, and Mages took sides as well as the Houses. A plague that began to ravage the colonies and spread among both subjects and soldiers only added to the strain as more and more became disillusioned with the Imperium, and many declared that the Emperor's curse had now doomed Kratoria.

The turmoil would last for centuries but by the end of it, the Imperium had lost hold of half of the imperial territories as provinces broke away and the Semideum had less and less will to hold onto them. All the while they kept warring with Etresna while assassinations and terror plots were committed by both nations. The Kratorians had been beaten by Etresna, an event that started a long chain of events that made the Imperium a shadow of its former self. The unification of Rotteburg, the loss of the Imperium's preeminent scientist to assassination, and the Mad Queen's tyrannical rule further hurt Kratoria. The Mad Queen, had been overthrown by her own daughter in order to preserve the Xanderos dynasty and the Kratorian state, and the new Imperatrix abandoned the Imperium's colonial design, opting instead to consolidate the Imperium's rule in the territories they did hold. The Peacemaker, as she is known, negotiated the alliance with the Uruks, the peace with Etresna, and stopped the loss of more territories setting the present Kratorian borders.

The Semideum retreated from the public, their powers and magic long diminished from what they had been and the Imperium focused inward. The Peacemaker died peacefully and her son Aelyx V, the Young Dragon, has been crowned in her place, with her grandson Aemon being named Crown Prince. Under the Peacemaker, the Imperium had enjoyed great peace, calm, and an artistic revolution. But many of the younger Imperials wish to make their mark on history as their ancestors have done and have been called the restless generation, with many hiring themselves out as adventurers and warriors for other countries, while others still brood on their enemies Rotteburg and Etresna. Observing the turmoil in the continent, there are those who believe that the Titan has designs on the world and intends to thrust Kratoria back into glory.

Economy

For much of its history, Kratoria was one of the dominant economic powerhouse of the world, especially during the Age of Conquest. Its' supreme role in world trade has somewhat lessened in recent generations, particularly with the loss of complete control over the Golden Road on the main continent, but Kratoria remains a robust center of trade and commerce. Kratoria's central position between several large nations and its access to the sea on both east and west make it a bustling hub of seafaring trade, and the renovation of the Grand Canal to a modern construction is expected to greatly expedite the process of travel from east to west and make Kratoria even larger profits. The Marble Bank in the city of Hermatia is the first and oldest institution of its kind in the world and still draws in customers from around the globe, and is renowned for its discretion making it quite popular with the Kratorian aristocracy and luminaries from other nations as well. Furthermore, the ancient trade guilds of Kratoria have continued in operation for millennia and maintain strong presences in a great many markets and industries. The robust road and rail infrastructure that the Imperium designed for its domain greatly expedite trade and travel within the vast nation as well.

The economy of Kratoria is quite diverse thanks to the eclectic business interests of the Primarchs and the guilds, and many Primarchs and Archons have great wealth in stocks, but agriculture is a particularly large sector in Kratoria. Wheat is one of Kratoria's largest exports but olive oil, wine, and other luxury produce are highly sought after in markets around the planet in addition to exotic spices from the eastern provinces and high-quality meat and other animal products such as leather and fur from Kratorian manors. Kratorian cuisine is a favorite of wealthy patrons the world over. Pottery, glassware, metalwork, fine silks, and a wide variety of other handicrafts made by Kratorian artisans are highly prized for their elegance, beauty, and skill of craftsmanship and fetch high prices on the market. Charms and trinkets forged by Mages, that are reputed to have magical abilities, are also popular and quite expensive even if they seem to have little or no effect at all.

Kratoria's abundant natural resources are a great contributor to Kratoria's economy, particularly in minerals, metals, and precious gems. Diamonds, gold, marble, and other riches of the earth are prized greatly by the Semideum who hoard most of what is extracted for their own purposes, but the surplus is sold at incredibly healthy profits. Lumber and the bounty of the sea are great moneymakers as well, but the use of Kratoria's earthly riches for profit is held greatly in check by the High King and the Primarchs on the advice of the Chantry, the Brotherhood, and most universities and druid circles, who fear the wanton destruction of the environment would bring ruin to the Imperium both in the mortal world and in the spiritual sense. As such, Kratoria could export much more than it does at the moment, but does not out of caution.

Due to Kratoria's many monuments and extensive patronship of the arts, entertainment, and sports the Imperium enjoys a robust tourist industry with wealthy tourists seeking wonder and excitement in Kratoria. The exotic but hospitable climate and great natural beauty is another attracting factor. Kratorian entertainment and culture, particularly in literature and music, is omnipresent in most of the world. However like all magnificent things, there is a darker side to Kratoria's splendor. The pharmaceutical industry and weaponsmithing trade are great in Kratoria, with the Imperium shipping reliable weapons and powerful drugs to customers around the world in great volume. Kratorian sages have long recognized the debilitating effects of cocaine, opium, and heroin and likewise the Imperium has prohibited their sale within its domains, but members of the Alchemist Guild make enormous profits from their sale to citizens of other nations.

The Thieve's Guild is one of the richest organizations in Kratoria because it supplies cocaine and heroin to the aristocracy for their amusement, Semideum being much protected from the effects of these drugs compared to normal mortals, and has a large cut of the Alchemists' drug trade. The Thieve's Guild have their hands in many underworld sectors, with some even claiming that they still capture citizens of foreign nations for sale as slaves in places such as Redcliffe. The Guild itself is less of a united organization as a collective of underworld families who sometimes unite for a common goal, but it is whispered that the most powerful of these bosses is a kinsman of the Lord of Crossroads himself and that he has an understanding with both the Primarchs and the High King to keep the underworld in check.

Technology

In days past, the Imperium was hailed as a center of both learning and scientific brilliance. To be certain, Kratorian scientists and sages are still renowned for knowledge in astronomy, alchemy, biology, and a wide range of scholarly subjects. But they are no longer at the forefront of technological invention and use as they used to be, partly due to the unfortunate death of the renowned Pallasi scientist and inventor known as Delotas, but also because of the Chantry discouraging overly widespread adoption of fossil fuels. While factories do exist in Kratoria and produce efficiently, they are strategically placed away from major cities and nature preserves in order to minimize pollution and most railroads in Kratoria still run on steam while operational cars largely use biofuels. The major exception are planes and ships, where Kratoria seeks to keep a military edge.

In fact while most sectors of Kratoria remain traditional, it is in the cities and the military where modernization can be most seen. Electricity flows in the major cities where taller and taller skyscrapers are erected, and Kratorian military research seeks to keep up military developments in other nations. However, Semideum machinists and scientists, most of them steeped in tradition and older ways of thinking, have a disadvantage next to the innovation of shorter-lived peoples such as the Etremaden or the people of Redcliffe. This widespread conservatism is the reason why the military still uses mostly tried and true technologies such as bolt-action and research into semi-automatic rifles is slow to provide results. However, Kratoria's economic partnership with Redcliffe has resulted in many Redcliffe scientists coming to the Imperium to share their knowledge with students and many younger scholars study abroad in Redcliffe, Tushienia, and other nations in order to diversify their education. The Kratorian military also uses input from Redcliffe for the manufacturing of equipment and imports equipment from Tushienia and other nations in order to study and reverse-engineer them. At the moment Kratoria may be behind in the technology race, but the High King is resolved to catch up to their competitors and future generations of Kratorian scientists are proving quite promising.

Army

The Imperial Army was once the largest, mightiest military force on the planet, drawn from citizens of both the Imperium and the colonies; a force that shook the earth as it marched. It is still a doughty force with highly-trained and professional soldiers, but is only a fraction of its previous size. However, Kratorians have always had a strong martial tradition ever since the era of the city-state and whatever shortcomings the Imperial army may have in manpower compared to other large armies, it more than makes up for in training, professionalism, experience, and valor. The Imperial Army is an all-volunteer force and employs men and women of all species, with military bases strategically placed all over the Empire, but with particular presence at the borders with Rotteburg in the South and the Commonwealth in the North. The Imperial Army Officers are mainly aristocrats who have all received extensive military education, starting with study of military history in childhood. Imperial High Command is famous for having contingency plans for practically every military scenario and the war colleges in Pallas and Draxi are well-known for their comprehensive and effective education. For Kratorians, war is an honorable and exciting pursuit, and commoners in particular see accomplishment in the military as an attractive prospect due to opportunities for social advancement and material success while nobles join for glory and the chance to rise in the ranks, as well as duty to their gods, country, and Imperator. Oathbreakers and deserters are held in the highest scorn in Kratoria, while warriors are celebrated and bring great honor to their families, so it is no wonder that the Army is held in such esteem.

The Imperator remains the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, and high lords and even royalty can be placed in positions of command in times of war, but the day-to-day operations of the Army fall under the auspices of the Lord Marshall, who is a member of the High Council and the field commander for all imperial army operations. The following is a simplification of the Imperial rank structure. The army divisions are each overseen by a General, whom the Lord Marshall appoints. The armies are further divided into legions, run by an Imperial Legate and are the main unit for military operations. The Legions are subdivided into regiments, run by colonels; then battalions commanded by majors; cohorts led by captains; and centuries which are overseen by Centurions. The most junior officers, lieutenants, run platoons which can be divided into squads under sergeants and lances run by corporals. At the bottom is the trooper, the average man-at-arms of the army and Kratorians still have a habit of calling infantry pikemen as opposed to riflemen or infantrymen. Receiving an officer's commission in the Imperial army means being a knight and so a lieutenant is known as a Knight-Lieutenant, then a Knight-Centurion, a Knight-Captain and so on, with the insignia of their unit including both the official arms as well as that of their knightly officer. Many who are already knights receive commissions while others are anointed once their training is complete. NCOs who are promoted to officers are also knighted. In some units, all the soldiers are knights and are commanded by the most senior of them.

The average soldier's kit includes a woolen service tunic with their unit's arms and knightly commander's arms sewn as well as rank into the fabric, with an outer combat webbing to distribute the weight of all their equipment such as ammunition, canteen, and the entrenching tool along with other miscellaneous gear. Standard footwear consists of black leather jackboots while the uniform itself varies in color depending on the terrain the soldier is expected to fight in; though the typical dress uniform's colors also vary depending on whom the commander is. Soldiers can pay to have a uniform tailored to their exact specifications for greater comfort and mobility in the field. A steel helmet is also standard kit and designed to help protect from shrapnel and blunt force and prominently displays the Imperial arms upon it. The standard service rifle is a bolt-action repeating rifle known for its accuracy, reliability, and stopping power. Troopers are known to customize their rifles by engraving personal markings, such as arcane signs for protection. Bayonets are used extensively but short swords and daggers are also standard equipment for soldiers who are thoroughly trained in their use as well as unarmed combat such as boxing, wrestling, and other fighting styles making a Kratorian a dangerous foe in both long and close range. Shotguns are issued to troops expected to fight in closer quarters while marksmen use longer-range bolt-action rifles. For infantry of other species or special units, the equipment varies depending on their needs and specialties, such as those of the Varangian Regiment using axes in place of shortswords.

Officers carry pistols, which range from revolvers to semi-automatics and are often family heirlooms, in addition to their rifles. And in lieu of a shortsword, knightly officers carry longswords, which are also often brought with them from their families. Promoted NCOs are given a standard-issue revolver and longsword. Their uniforms also often include a leather longcoat tailored to them with individual dyed colors depending on their preferences which, coupled with light metallic plating also contoured to their bodies is often evocative of the classic plate and cloak of the old Kratorian knights, a conscious design choice that also offers them greater protection in battle while also looking both formidable and stylish. Occasionally, prominent officers whether by rank or family may have a Semidean steel blade, spell-forged and supernaturally sharp, durable, and light. In ages past, horses were a must for an officer, but the role of cavalry has diminished steadily with the advancement of warfare technology though cavalry units still exist and have still seen action and served with distinction. A wide variety of other specialized units exist throughout the army structure from artillery regiments to sappers and special forces, all of them almost too numerous to list. Special legions such as the Heretics, the Janissaries, the Dauntless, and the Golden Legion all have their unique traditions and roles.

Besides the Imperial Army however, martial tradition can be seen almost everywhere in Kratoria. There are many knightly orders not directly associated with the Crown, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Templar, who serve the Chantry as well as more secular orders. In every city, the City Watch are not just policemen but trained soldiers, hospitals serve both civilians and soldiers, and every able-bodied Kratorian is expected to have undergone basic combat training and military history as part of their education and continue drilling in civilian life once they became of age. As such, while they are a volunteer force, if the Imperial Army enacted conscription they could get their hands on droves of armed men and women to fill out their forces. Not that they would necessarily need to, as if a war threatened the Imperium, volunteers would appear by the thousands and thousands. Soldiers who finish out their terms of service are placed on the reserves for as long as they remain able-bodied. As such, Imperial officers often joke that while the official reserves are around 100,000 the true amount of reservists they can call on number in the millions.

Private weapon ownership is endemic to Kratoria because of this martial reality, contributing to the fact that Kratoria has never been successfully invaded. In an invasion, every farmer would contribute to the national defense and every alchemist would be helping plant explosives while hunters performed reconnaissance for the military. Private weapons extend far beyond the average civilian however. One of the primary reasons for the decline of the Imperial Army's size has been the great amount of fighting men and women who now march in a lord's levy compared to the Imperial army. In days past, the Imperator could command forces from the noble levies but in these days of greater political parity, the Primarchs maintain stout private armies for their own purposes, all of them just as professional and well-armed as the Imperial army with special units of their own. In times of immense need, the Primarchs will contribute to the Imperial forces, but courting their support is of the utmost importance to the Imperator. The other major private force are the Reavers, who have been a sellsword company in operation for millennia and often hire themselves out to private corporations for a number of various duties, and their Lord Commander has been of Semideum descent since the first. It is said they often have dealing with the Thieve's Guild. But nobles are known to hire them on occasion even the Crown, and though they cannot match a true standing army in size, their lack of scruples coupled with cold professionalism and skill makes them a valuable asset.

Navy

The Imperial Navy was once the power of the seas both in the east and west, but it has been overshadowed by the Cethosi navy due to the general retreat of Kratoria from the world stage. However the Imperial Navy remains a formidable force that keeps on the bleeding edge of competition due to both expert shipwrights and design input from Redcliffe. The Imperial Navy has a Western and Eastern command and ensures the protection of commerce to and from the Imperium's ports. The Navy even has a few dreadnoughts, one of which serves as the Imperator's own flagship, and is the largest and grandest vessel in the Home Fleet. The Empire's naval defenses are likewise extensive and hardened positions such as bunkers and coastal artillery batteries are ubiquitous along Kratoria's shores. The Imperial Navy itself is kept modern, but many older vessels still lie at berth, still seaworthy and ready to be pressed back into service if needed. Additionally, the Imperium maintains the right to commander civilian vessels if the need calls for it, and there are many in Kratoria due to the number of ports and the massive amounts of coastline. The Merchant Marine also serve as an auxiliary force to the Navy in times of war and the Imperium has been known to issue letters of marque to private vessels to serve as Imperial Corsairs, who are often used to harass supply lines in war or hunt pirates. The Primarchs have extensive commercial fleets, with some such as the Sealord buying old military models from the Imperium and even using surplus materials from shipyards to build warships of their own. The Imperial Marines are a professional and well-trained force that are well-prepared for amphibious assault though they are not as large as the Cethosi Corps, and their numbers are largely drawn from the Sealord's Mermarines, who are still maintained as a force.

Air Force

The Imperial Air Service is young but large and many in Imperial High Command have grand designs for it. Kratoria was the first major continental power to embrace the airplane for military use in reconnaissance and scouting and likewise have one of larger air fleets on the continent. Redcliffe scientists had extensive input in the design process and after reverse-engineering, Kratorian machinists were able to produce a magnificent airforce. Despite its limited military role, the air service is dominated by Kratorian nobility, who are greatly drawn by the appeal of taking to the sky in flight. Due to their superior physical skills, Semideum pilots are incredibly adept in quick maneuvers that most cannot match them in and Kratorian planes are renowned for their maneuverability. Reports of Etremaden forays into combat with airplanes has motivated a similar development in Kratoria, with Redcliffe scientists helping Kratorians experiment with the use of machineguns or bombs with planes. Kratorian commanders involved in the air service dream of turning it into an airborne cavalry, a rebirth of the Semideum knight for the modern age but in the air and not on the ground. The Imperator himself is an enthusiastic aviator, as well as most of the royal family who all have their own private aircraft as well as a royal Zeppelin which is a vessel of great splendor and the flagship of a small fleet of zeppelins. The Primarchs are also greatly interested in the air, with many using zeppelins for commercial flights and with private fleets of their own, though they do not match the Imperial Army's in number. At the moment, the Air Service is a branch of the Imperial Army, but has great prestige due to the Imperator's youngest son being named the Wing Commander of the Air Service.

Rolls

Kratorian Imperium
16 - Territory - Your nation, whether by overseas territory or land at home, has an above average amount of territory. A decent portion of the globe heeds your beck and call.
7 (+3) - Tech - Your nation is still antiquated, but modernization is about to begin or in its beginning stages.
12 (+1) - Army Size - Your army is well- sized, and is maintained year-round.
16 (+1) - Economy - Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is.
15 - Production - Your nation is doing well for itself, with excellent production in both farming and manufacturing and good resource exploitation.
16 - Navy Size - Your navy is decently sized, with a large merchant train and a large military portion.
16 - Airforce Size - You have a decent amount of biplanes.
10 - Mobilization Ability - It takes two months to mobilize

Summerfield
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
6 - Nationalism - This nation is ashamed of its culture and is completely subservient to your nation.

Winterwood
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable.
3 - Nationalism - This nation is somewhat nationalist, and is fiercely independent.

The Shadowland
6 - Territory - 7 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
1 - Nationalism - This nation is highly nationalist, and actively ejects foreign puppeteers from its borders.

[Kho]

The United and God-given Righacd of Sidara

Claims

_{Link to Nation Sheet | Link to Summarised Nation Sheet | Link to List of Sidarid Produced Goods & Services, and Imports}

National Anthem: Sdara the Brave
Form of Government: Unitary Parliamentary Elective Monarchy
Head of State: Her Grace, Bhaenrhig Ros of Clan Rhiglaird Esher
Capital: Glenmagar
Consultative non-Legislative Assembly: The Duthchas
Cabinet: Her Grace's Priyetcyn of 1910-1915:--

Treasury

Cynghyrd of the Treasury, Danand Ibormeith of Clan Rosaec

War

Cynghyrd of War, the Well-born Achaidh Tywsyg Tomaltach 'Flynn' Flann of Clan Rhiglaird Esher, Chief of the General Staff

Marine

Cynghyrd of the Marine, Mholier Iain Frangag of Clan Gweilaerth, Laird Grand Mholier, Mholier of the Fleet

Industry

Cynghyrd of Industry, Etaine Manannan of Clan Guilibraec

Education

Cynghyrd of Education, Dubhaltach Fhirbhisigh of Clan Laird Loamainn o' Fulfraen

Foreign Affairs

Cynghyrd of Foreign Affairs, Vercin Gator of Clan Laird-Aujvint

Interior

Cynghyrd of the Interior, Cartindua Bran of Clan Braeg o' th'Braes

Public Works

Cynghyrd of Public Works, Tuireann Creidh of Clan MgLabrinn

Antiquities

Cynghyrd of Antiquities, Amergin Gluingel of Clan ap-Fhinnan o' Iwan

Justice

Cynghyrd of Justice, Grayinne Ni'Mhalle of Clan Mhaeridh

Agriculture

Cynghyrd of Agriculture, Seosamh Duibhginn of Clan Ol Mirti

Foreign Correspondance and Treaties

<sub>- Cynghyrd of Foreign Affairs Condemns Attack and Offers Condolences; Tymhoris 3, 1910 (Tues 4 Jan, 1910)
- Cynghyrd of Foreign Affairs Writes to Chairman Lan At-zen; Tymhoris 10, 1910 (Tues 11 Jan, 1910)
- Bn. Murchraed Whaeghliy of Cl. Sirjin; of Her Grace's Aeroflight Society, Requests Funding from the Glass Bank & Issues a General Call for Investment; Tymhoris 13, 1910 (Fri 14 Jan, 1910)
- Yabisi, Diplomat at Glenmagar, and Cynghyrd of Foreign Affairs Vercin Gator Discuss Various Matters; Tymhoris 16, 1910 (Mon 17 Jan, 1910)</sub>

Internal Affairs

_{- The Duthchas Discusses Matters Relating to the Impending War; Tymhoris 10, 1910 (Tues 11 Jan, 1910)
-}

Miscellanea

-

[Rtron]

Cethos

Name of Nation: Cethos

Government: Absolute Monarchy (Ruler: Matra Prunak ‘Mother’s Protector’)

Species: Humanoid fish people with primitive gills allowing them to breathe under water (in both fresh and saltwater) for up to 10 hours, webbing in their hands and toes to swim better, able to dive to depths of 130ft (40m), and have a clear, third, eyelid that allows them to see underwater. 'Cethosi tears' are often used to describe fake tears, as they get rid of salt build up via it leaking out of their eyes with water. They lack hair, instead having vestigial fins on the top of their head that start brightly colored and can be large, but dull with age. Indeed, that is the only sign of age.

Cethosi women are larger than Cethosi males, by an average of five inches. There is no noticeable difference in physical attributes, though the men are typically faster swimmers.

Population: 40 Million

Culture: Cethosi culture, unsurprisingly, is tied to the ocean. From it their demi-gods were born, on it they expanded and united the Cethosi tribe, and it gives them life and sustenance daily. They have a deep respect for the ocean, and go to great lengths to ensure that it is respected as well. The Mother gave us life, but she is a force of nature that will never be tamed, never forget that.

Every Cethosi is first and foremost a sailor and a fisherman, and every single one of them is a powerful swimmer.

The Cethosi honor code is fairly simple, with every man's word being his bond. If a Cethosi gives you their word, they will hold to it until it complete or they are dead. If it becomes known that someone is an oath-breaker, they will be shunned by the community at large, until they are forced to leave. Most leave the islands entirely, as any ship they take to another island will spread the word of how untrustworthy they are to wherever they land.

Cethosi practice exo-cannibalism, believing that if they eat their slain enemies they will gain their enemies strength. In war, to prevent vicious last stands that will result in more casualties than necessary, Cethosi go to great lengths to make it clear that anyone who surrenders and any wounded are safe from being eaten. Everyone who fights and dies against them, however, is fair game.

Cethosi believe that when someone dies, their power is spread throughout their family. Being descended from Demi-gods, every Cethosi thus has part of divinity in them, no matter how minuscule. After someone has died, their family thanks them for the power they are leaving. They are then given back to the ocean, to nourish that which has nourished them their whole lives.

Tattoos play an important part in Cethos culture, denoting rank, accomplishments, tribe, and which of the long gone Matra Tu they worship. It is rare to find a Cethosi that doesn’t have some form of tattoo on their body, and many tribes view it as a disgrace if you do not.

Geography: By and large, most Cethosi islands are pleasant tropical islands. Some have sheer cliff spaces or extremely shallow waters very close, limiting where ships can dock and land, but they are all clear waters and pleasant weather.

The main cluster of islands in Cethos is starkly different to the rest of the islands. Instead of easy, clear, waters, the approach is filled with dark, choppy waters with large rocks jabbing out at frequent and seemingly random intervals. All around the island are 'ship graveyards' where entire invading fleets met their doom or the royal family forced the rebels to enter the island on their defenses, sinking what remained the royal navy around the island. There is one main path through all of this, and that leads straight into the teeth of the island's defenses

The waters of Cethos are filled with exotic and magical creatures: huge fish whose scales shine with every color of the rainbow, mermaids playfully calling from the sea, giant squids sinking under the waves, talking turtles with gold growing on their shells, etc etc.

History: Descended from the many Demi-Gods ( Matra Tu ‘Mother’s Children’) of the ocean, whose final decree was that no impure would set foot on their holy islands, the people of Cethos have always preferred to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. The only recorded time in Cethosi history, before modern times, that they ever left their islands as a nation to interact with the outside world, was when Kratoria reached for allies against the Chan Ak Su-na the ‘Dark Invaders From Afar’ (often shortened to simply Chan).

Known as the Black Empire, the Ap Morgi, The Morghul Dominion, and a thousand other names in a thousand other tongues, the Chan had already gained a foothold on the Cethosi islands, and were embroiled in a bloody war of conquest against the Cethosi and the Matra Tu. The Cethosi and their gods were losing ground every day, only slowing the Chan at a terrible cost. The Kratorians landed on Cethos’ shores, and offered an alliance. With nowhere else to turn, the Matra Tu accepted. Together, they forced the Chan off the islands. Thus began Cethosi involvement in a centuries long war that would claim the lives of thousands of Cethosi and dozens of Matra Tu.

When the war was finally over, and the Chan finally defeated, the Cethosi retreated to their isolation again. The Matra Tu bid their former allies farewell, and settled into their isolated kingdoms, ruling over their islands.

It was only a few years later that Kratoria would return, demanding Cethos allegiance and servitude to the Kratorian Empire, a new power filling the void left by the destruction of the Chan. The Cethosi and their gods refused, and threw the Kratorian delegation off of their islands. Within days, a Kratorian fleet sailed across the ocean, intent upon conquering the isles. The Matra Tu would unite their islands again, and meet the threat in open battle in the sea. In the centuries that followed, the Matra Tu would engage the Semideums in titanic battles, entire fleets being shattered on both sides, and the Cethosi tribes awaiting to battle any Kratorians that made it to the Islands. The Empire never achieved its dream of conquering the Cethosi Islands, but they did inflict severe blows to the Cethosi population and morale. Bit by bit, year by year, the Matra Tu were being eradicated. History debates and wildly speculates on the cause, some claiming a curse from the Chan Ak Su-na, others from the Kratorians, still others simple old age, and yet more others that the Kratorians had poisoned them. All agreed that the war with the Kratorian Semideums aggravated the issue, and the results are all the same. Eventually, the Matra Tu were extinct as a race. Cethos was left without its defenders, and Kratoria wasted no time launching another invasion fleet. This one without Semideum, as they were needed for the war against Etresna and knew it to be below them to battle ‘island savages’.

The Cethosi, still united despite the death of their guardians, met the fleet in open waves. It was a desperate last stand. They knew that if the Kratorians were allowed to gain a foothold, they would be conquered within months. So they threw every ship they had at the Kratorian fleet, and did everything possible to destroy it. Ships were lit on fire and rammed into the enemy. Cethosi crews would madly rush aboard Kratorian ships with oil and fire, throwing it everywhere as they were cut down. Cethosi ships were thrown in front of advancing Kratorian ships to slow their advance to the island.

Hundreds of Cethosi ships were sacrificed, and thousands died. But it worked. Most of the Kratorian fleet was destroyed and those ships that weren’t slinked back to Kratoria. Another invasion never came, as Kratoria became ever more obsessed with defeating Etresna and lost its grip on the rest of its holds.

The Cethosi leadership that had united them during this battle all perished, and the tribes of Cethos fractured again. They only unanimously agreed to keep the Islands free of outsiders, and then went to their separate islands to live how they believed their Matra Tu wanted them too.

Even during the unification of the islands in the years 1650-1660, Cethos kept outsiders as much out of their islands as they could, even going so far as to execute those they found twice. Up until 1880, the islands kept as minimal contact with the outside world as they could. Their sacred decrees were everything, and they would not break it. When the year 1880 finally arrived, the Cethosi Civil War broke out and ravaged the islands for twenty years.

An officer of the Cethosi Navy, Gharn Lashk, had become the leader of a faction pushing for Cethos to open its borders and to increase contact with the outside world. Cethos, he argued, was falling behind in the arms race of the world and it would only be a matter of time before a stronger nation came and conquered them. He had seen the technology Etresna possessed, the armies of the nations that were only a short sail away, and new that his beloved Cethos would not survive a war with any of them.

His warnings were ignored, and he kept pushing. He kept pushing for their borders to open, for trade to be allowed, for them to become modernized quickly before someone took advantage of their weakness. After being stopped time and time again, stopped by his superiors and his king, Gharn took matters into his own hands. He had amassed a strong following, especially among the peasantry of the islands, and he could seize control. Gharn attempted to assassinate his king and the royal family. The attempt failed, and Gharn barely escaped with a handful of his followers. He vowed to return, and finish what he had started. The Cethosi Civil War had begun.

What would follow was twenty years of vicious naval battles, bloody beach assaults, and the massive ramp up of modernization and defensive fortifications on the islands. Ships and guns became more and more modern as both sides bought from outsiders, islands became entrenched on all sides awaiting the next assault. Gharn got all that he wanted and more. He only had to bring half of the islands under his control to complete his dream. He couldn't afford to let them destroy each other any longer. He needed to end the war quickly, so he reached out to the outside world. Specifically he reached out to Etresna, and made their alliance stronger. In return for Cethos' naval aid and keeping some of the islands they take, Etresna will help him win this civil war. Etresna fleets and military soon deployed in aid of Gharn's rebellion, and their aid proved invaluable in winning Gharn the war.

As Etresnamaden and Cethosi Rebels stormed the palace of the main island, the royal family and their last loyal troops barricaded themselves in the palance. It was a magnificent structure, made of ebony wood, that had been apart of Cethos history for hundreds of years. It was said to have been a gift from the Matra Tu, before they died. Gharn gave them one chance to surrender, to join him. They refused. Gharn set fire to the entire palace with everyone inside. As the Royal family burned alive, the flames of the old ways flooding the skies with black smoke, Gharn was crowned the new Matra Prunak of Cethos.

Ten years have passed since then. Gharn's reconstruction of the military and its fortifications on all the islands, in addition to Cethos acquiring two client states, has left the economy perilously weak. If not for its tight alliance with Etresna, Cethos would have no doubt been stuck with its devastated army and navy. The economy has slowly been built back up, exports previously kept within Cethosi borders being shipped out to other nations. With their navy strong, their army dug in, and their alliances sealed, Cethos stands ready for whatever this new era brings.

Territory Claims: All of the pink islands off the coast of Etresna.

Big fucken map

Economy: The Cethosi economy is perilously weak. After the Civil War and the military rebuilding, the economy had no trade beyond Etresna to fall back on. While that was enough to prevent complete economic collapse, Cethos simply doesn't have the funding to increase and improve many things. With the recent discovery of oil on and off their main islands, the outlook is better. As trade opens and things previously kept from the world are sent out, their economic weakness might change. As of now, Cethos is tightly tied to Etresna for economic support.

Technology: While by no stretch of the imagination a leader of the pack in the technology arms race, Cethos has, with the help of their allies Etresna, kept themselves effectively modern.

army and marine corp uniform

Army: The Cethosi Army is divided into two divisions. The Islands Defense Force, IDF, is a small and purely defensive branch of the military. Numbering only 120,000 in total, the IDF is spread out across the island holdings of Cethos, entrenched in the fortifications built during the Cethosi Civil War, and repaired to modern specifications in the past ten years. Every island has some form of fortification, the smallest having pitfall trenches, barbed wire, and machine gun bunkers, the largest having coastal artillery emplacements, sea mines (not deployed), barbed wire, pit falls, machine gun nests, etc. The vast majority of active duty soldiers being veterans of the Civil War, the IDF stands ready and able to repel any possible invasion of the islands.

The Second Division of the Cethosi Army is the Islands Army. Numbering 180,000 standing members with another 100,000 on reserve the Islands is the projection force of Cethos. It is the force that will be sent forward alongside the marines to support allies or attack enemies.

Navy: With 600 war ships the Cethosi Navy is one of the largest navies on the seas of Narrev, if not the largest, and Cethos goes to great lengths to maintain their naval supremacy. As such, and due to their heritage and culture with the ocean, the Cethosi naval forces are much larger than that of other nations. The Marine Corps alone contains 980,000 active duty members and another 150,000 on reserve. These active members are spread across the navy ready to form a beachhead for allies, or help defend. The Marine corp is so large in its own right that it is more akin to the army of other nations, though they lack artillery, and as such are trained in land operations as well.

Warship Numbers

Dreadnoughts: 30
Battleships (pre-Dreadnoughts): 60
Battlecruisers: 35
Armoured Cruisers: 50
Protected Cruisers: 40
Scout Cruisers: 30
Light Cruisers: 40
Destroyers: 220
Torpedo Boats: 80
Submarines: 15

Total: 600

The Cethosi navy, technically, has access to thousands of other ships from centuries of Cethosi naval aspects. The Byuna Vasha are possessed ships with crews from centuries in the past, ranging from simple ramming ships to massive manowars. The vast majority of them are scuttled on the beaches, those with cannons and ranged weapons facing towards the sea for defence, and are more like to temples than actual warships.

The Cethosi Army and Marine Corp weapons designs are based off of Etresna, using the same base design as the make and models from the Etresnamaden military. The standard Cethos rifle, the Matra Wuban ‘Mother’s Wrath’ is based off of the Etremaden ‘Atassidaiir Vyye 1903 - Repeat Firearm Model 1903’. The Cethosi design was built with durability and functionality in mind, capable of operating even after submerged underwater for hours at a time or being used as a makeshift club, at the cost of some range. Every Cethosi soldier or marine comes with a dagger attached to their hip, and their bayonets are longer than traditional bayonets, making their guns looked more like spears than rifles. Melee combat and styles vary from island division to island division, as each culture has its own take and preference on how to fight.

Air Force: With no money to fund this innovative technology, Cethos has no airforce to
speak of.

Magic: Cethosi magic is tightly tied to blood, flesh, and the consumption of it. Those two things are major factors amongst the mages of Cethos, as is ancestor reverence and worship. It is not uncommon for a modern day Cethosi mage to discuss things with the spirit of a mage who existed centuries ago, during the times of the Matra Tu. As an organization, the mages of Cethos are only loosely united by their investigation and cultivation of magic. Aligning themselves more according to their tribal lines than their universal similarities, there is no overarching organization to govern them. It is generally accepted, however, that the mages in the service of the crown have the power to shut down any research or development they deem dangerous to the Isles.

Cethosi magic is most well known for its use of the bodies of the dead. In various factories and special buildings across the islands, mages and those that work for them process the blood and flesh of the dead (enemies or volunteers) into vials of blood or packets of meat to be consumed. Upon consuming these, the Cethosi gains the physical attributes of whoever was processed into the vial or the packet. If a Cethosi was to drink the vial of blood, they would experience increased attributes for a few hours (a max of five, but it also depends on physical activity, with the shortest amount of time being an hour). If a Cethosi eats the package of meat they would experience increased attributes for a little longer than a day ( 28 hours max, but it also depends on physical activity, with the shortest amount of time being 20 hours).

Because of this, bodies of certain races are valued highly by Cethosi mages. They’ll pay top dollar for Uruk, minotaur, and elf corpses, and will pay any amount demanded if someone were to somehow get their hands on a semideum corpse.

They can get this process down to only a specific trait, used primarily with animal corpses. For example, an eagle’s blood would only lend the eyesight of an eagle to whoever drinks it, a bear’s blood would only lend the strength of a bear, so on so forth. These vials, while much more powerful, are much shorter lasting. They only last for a max of thirty minutes, depending on the physical activity, with a max of 15 minutes.

The Cethosi have developed a liquid, made from blood of course, that their bullets can be dipped into. When this liquid comes in contact with blood it causes the blood to turn acidic, making anything it touches burn in agony and, eventually, death (time frame depending on how fit and healthy the victim is). If the wound is washed out quickly enough, the effects are cancelled.

Cethos has also figured out how to tie the souls of dead sailors to ships they served on. These Byuna Vasha ‘Blessed Vessels’ have the souls of crewmembers who had been on the ship for years, and sailing in war vessels for decades. While the spirits are incapable of touching or interacting with the living world, they can possess the ship to tell the crew the max they can push it beyond recommended levels, they do not need rest or feel the elements (making them excellent look outs and guides through storms), and can tell the living crew the best way to set up things for the fastest and most accurate firing.

The same process is used to bind the souls of ancestors to buildings, allowing for their wisdom to be accessed for centuries to come. It is particularly popular amongst the cethosi mages.

Cethos has designed submarines made out of the corpses of dead sea leviathans. While these submarines are much more fragile and easily destroyed than normal submarines, they can stay under longer and move faster than their technological counter parts.

Cethos has developed a bone armor that covers the torso and head. Covered in blood runes and flexible, the bone is weaker than steel, but also much lighter. Incapable of blocking bullets at anything except extreme long range, it is more than capable of blocking melee weapon attacks. For that reason, and its lightness, most Cethosi soldiers come equipped with this light armor.

Rolls

5 - Territory - Your nation is somewhat small, with room for perhaps a city or two and some farmland. (7-2)

13 - Tech - Your nation is decently modern, with an effective grasp of technology. It is by no means a trend setter, but it stays up.

17 - Army Size - The size of your army is formidable, and is maintained year-round. (7+10)

5 - Economy - Your economy is weak, and is teetering on a recession.

12 - Production -Your nation is a mix of agrarian and industrial. (14-3)

20 - Navy Size - Your nation rules the waves. Your merchant fleet is the best out there and your matchless navy seeps with tradition.

1 - Airforce Size - You have no air force.

20 - Mobilization Ability - It takes a week to mobilize.

15- Magic -Impressive, you can put lightning cannons in a lot of places, perhaps you've decided river patrol boats should shoot lightning instead of bullets

Traits

Masters of the Sea- Every Cethosi has been in a boat from the earliest time they can remember. They’ve been swimming since before that. They know the ocean, and all her fickle moods. As such, Cethosi ship crews are the most efficient in the world, getting that extra knot from their ships, firing those couple of seconds faster, etc etc. When in water, regardless of whether its swimming, beaching operations, or any other operation in the ocean, they’re much more at ease and skilled at it than other races.

Cannibals- Cethosi are exo-cannibals, meaning they only eat enemies slain in battle. However, their reputation as cannibals has rapidly distorted out of proportion. Enemies who face them are understandably afraid of this fate, making them more likely to break if they see defeat (and being eaten alive) rising. However, if they have nowhere to run this same fear makes them more likely to fight to the death instead of surrendering. The knowledge of the Cethosi honor code has eased some of these fears, but not many.

Battle Forged- Cethos only recently finished a brutal civil war that soaked the islands in blood. As such, all but the very young and the very old have experience in combat and war. The Cethosi army and navy is filled with experienced and hardened soldiers and sailors, ready from their time in the war. A large amount of the factories that they have are geared towards building weapons of war still. However, this has left their economy perilously weak, and there are still dissenters from the losing side, hidden away.

Naval Traditions- Cethos has always been a nation and a people that emphasizes navy and seagoing traditions over most others. As a result, it is only natural that most of their volunteers are for the navy and marine corp, making those military factions much larger than other nations, more akin to actual armies in their own rights. However, this also means that their army and artillery corps are much smaller than other nations.

Unfettered Ambitions- Cethos is playing catch up with the rest of the world. While they were being isolationist, the rest of the world was making advances in industrial and technological sectors. Now that they have reentered the world they are only kept afloat by their ally’s technological superiority and economic might. To stop that, any and all money Cethos can spare is going to creating a thriving and modern industry in within the nation’s borders, at the cost of other sectors.

Client States

Hyanids

Population: 27 million

Army size: 80,000

Navy: N/A

Overview: A mess of snarling tribes and contentious members, Hyan has always been a divided nation. Until Cethos arrived and forcibly united them, and continues serving as a peacekeeper and settler of disputes, the tribes had separated themselves into various city states. Once Cethos arrived, the tribes acquiesced to the greater Cethosi strength one by one, until Cethos had all of their loyalty. They were allowed to keep their autonomy, but with Cethos keeping a watchful eye on them.

Trait: War Dogs- The Hyan’s culture is based heavily around war and combat. It is built into almost every facet of their lives, and they are very prepared for and experienced in it. However, they are also extremely eager to fight in it and die in it. This leads to recklessness, such as charging heedlessly straight into the teeth of entrenched forces and artillery, giving away positions in a night attack, so on so forth. It also leads to officers being unable to control them, leading to acts of unnecessary savagery and cruelty.

5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
3 - Political Stability - This nation is doing alright.
6 - Nationalism - This nation is ashamed of its culture and is completely subservient to your nation.

Slaugs

Population: 10 million

Army: 50,000

Navy: N/A

Overview: Natives to Shrask, the Slaugs are a largely isolationist nation. They would much prefer to be left alone, even from each other, minding their own business. Alas, the ways of the world prevented that, and when Cethos arrived offering their navy in return for Shrask's allegiance, they couldn't refuse. Still, Cethos maintains a very hands off policy towards them, not wanting to anger them.

Trait: Good Things Take Time- The Slaugs are a very patient race. They move slowly in everything. Building, moving, going to war, firing weapons, the Slaugs are slow and precise. When they do get to completing what they’re doing it is usually with masterful purpose. Their creations are superbly built and beautiful to look at. They move into a purposeful location. They strike at a key area in a war. Their weapons hit hard and powerfully. The Slaugs move slowly, but never without cause or impact.

5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable.
3 - Nationalism - This nation is somewhat nationalist, and is fiercely independent.

Other:

Alliances

-Etresna

-Nahs'rahk

[Willy Vereb]

The Uruk Empire - WIP

THE URUK EMPIRE

NATION OVERVIEW

NATION NAME: Khagnuzg'Uruk (Uruk Lands of the Khagn, often translated as The Uruk Empire)
GOVERNMENT: Imperial Parliamentary Monarchy
RULER: Khagn (equivalent of the Emperor), Kri-Vizaarz (equivalent of Prime Minister)
PRIMARY SPECIES: Urk/Ork/Orc (either spelling is fine, albeit Urk is the most correct)
PRIMARY RELIGION: Dorzai (believes in the god Zot and remembers its first herald Kudarsh)
POPULATION: 388,690,528 (last census data)
The Uruk Empire is large nation occupying the central portion of Narrev. It's known for its warlike ork inhabitants. It arguably has the largest continental army in all of Narrev yet owns a disproportionately slim influence over the seas. Its complex politics and constant wars make the Uruk lag behind technologically the other great powers but they're making a steady effort to modernize.

HISTORY OVERVIEW

Lacking record-keeping methods the early history of the orks is shrouded in mystery. It's known that orkish tribes were scattered around the central Narrevian steppes before even the Common Era. Their resilience and warlike qualities eventually caught the eye of the steadily expanding Kratorian Empire which captured them and initiated a long breeding program to create a slave race of soldiers fit to their needs. The Uruk soon became their feared shock troop on the continent. They were powerful, disciplined, relentless and loyal. They revered the Semideum as physical deities who could never do wrong and followed them blindly regardless of what they were told. Their official name became the Ordus, a mutation of the Kratorian word meaning "rank, file" or also meaning "order, command". Both meanings fit the Uruk well. Orkish culture remained but drastically altered to reflect Kratorian beliefs and their overall status in society. Yet the glory of the Kratorian Empire was about to take a sharp turn. In the Common Era Year 1448 the Empire spread far and wide, almost covering the entire Narrevian continent, it was only natural they'd turn for Etresna. Lytonius as the Empire's herald visited Etresna, demanding their prompt capitulation. It was a moment of arrogance and outright ignorance, product of time when no one could stop the Empire. On the other hand Etresna idolized valor and could never agree to bow without a fight. Insulted with the demands Lytonius was tried and later brutally murdered in response. Shocked and infuriated the Kratorian Empire hastily declared war on Etresna and legions of men, orks, demigods and other races marched up against the comparatively tiny nation. Arrogant and unprepared for what's to come Kratorian Army completely fell for Etresna's scorched earth tactics and guerilla attacks. The seemingly swift war turned into a meat grinder of attrition, slaying millions and killing numerous Semideum in the process. Experiencing failure for the first time, the Uruk's faith in the Semideum wavered. With many of their masters dead they rose up and their rampage engulfed most of Narrev in flames.

The uprising of the Ordos was sudden yet relatively spontaneous. While the orks took over most of the mainland the territory was split between numerous warlords. Great cities burned and many of Kratoria's accomplishments met this new age of ruin. With their numbers, military knowledge and natural-born ferocity the entire continent was defined by the orcish wars.
[To be continued...]

GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW

TERRITORY CLAIM:

HUGE MAP

CULTURAL OVERVIEW

There are three main social layers within the Empire. Ushatar, Shara and Snaga. Ushatar are orks who descended from the original Uruk culture, Shara are the free people of lesser orks or other races while Snaga are the enslaved population. The law applies differently between these three groups and their various interactions. Uruk's laws in general are strict, precise and applies everywhere within the Empire. On the other hand Uruk laws are not everything and provinces have considerable degree of autonomy. Uruk laws were revolutionary at the time but their structure is nowadays in the age of centralized states could be more of a hindrance.

As descendants of their warlord ancestors the Ushatar are the unofficial ruling class within Uruk. Among them you can distinguish 3 castes, each with different social status and upbringing. Pashtar are what most people recognize as the "Ushatar": Strong and militaristic. They are born for battle and high quality troops or the low ranking officers are generally selected from them. Dathuurz are warrior aristocracy usually capable of tracing back their lineage to various famous warlords. They are born leaders and aside from their military skills they take pride in the purity of their bloodline and take this matter dead seriously. Lastly you have the Laguurz, a caste of shamans who did not abandon their traditions. They are religious polyhistor offering their guidance in faith, record-keeping and sharing their wealth of knowledge with those who are worthy to it. Laguurz also have families with long spellcasting tradition and their influence in magic research is quite noticeable.

Urkim - Orcs

The Urk (plural: Urkim), also commonly referred as orks/orcs, are a powerful race dominating central Narrev. They are the primary members of the group colloquially referred as Greenskins. While considered a race in terms of physical attributes they sport a wide variety. Generally though they are taller than humans with way higher muscle development and characteristic green or brownish green skin tone. Uruks can be massive with the average Ushatar weighing 200-250 kilograms (~ 400-500 pounds) and physical might to match. Orcs have a high metabolism and consume more food at average to maintain their activities. They are also naturally more inclined to aggression, a typical Greenskin trait.
[to be continued..]

TECHNOLOGICAL OVERVIEW

Uruk is an unique combination of antiquated and modern as it's yet to benefit in full from the industrial revolution. Rural populations at times live in borderline medieval societies while cities are very similar to the standards of the civilized world. Lacking large sea routes the center of Uruk development are connected by railroads. In spite of its size the density of rail lines almost approaches that of the other major powers. Uruk has a number of academies with some earning international fame. Urukian technology is known for its ruggedness, relative simplicity and raw power. The so-called "Orc-Steel" (Oflsong) is well-known for its toughness and consistent quality even if at the cost of extra weight. In contrast orkish industry faces issues at producing fine machinery at large scale. With their struggling economy and prior investment in steam engines this resulted in Uruk being far slower at adopting internal combustion engines. Almost all orcish vehicles rely on steam instead of gasoline with aircraft being a major exception.

Somekeless Gunpowder - Karikabuum

Shortened as Kabuum (or Kaboom) it is an Uruk variation of the smokeless gunpowder derived from Etresna's gun balm. The mixture is at least three times stronger than black gunpowder, generates far less smoke and it doesn't clog up gun barrels like its predecessor. Orcish Kaboom utilizes plant derived components and the main process is simple enough to be accomplished in rural establishments, allowing widescale and cheap production immediately. On the other hand it suffers a bit in terms of strength to compounds used by other countries and the insufficient quality control can be also troublesome. This is partially why Uruk has preference for high-caliber guns, that and their obsession with stopping power. More than small arms the Karikabuum derived explosives at average 20% less energetic than standard TNT, enough that newer shells utilize entirely different material as filler. Ordinance is mostly unaffected and the quality of the gun tubes makes more of a difference. Aside from these the Uruk also have a tradition for rocketry and they developed a variation of Karikabuum to keep them viable even in the 20th century.

Development History

Struggling economically and behind in sciences the Uruk had a hard time during the 19th century. With the invention of dynamite and guncotton the nations began the race to develop smokeless gunpowder, the next leap in firearms development. Backwards as they were the Uruk Empire was expected to be left behind even further. Soon Etresna succeeded in creating the gun balm, a stable smokeless powder thanks to the legendary chemist and weapon designer Firahl Davariskk. Being a growing industrial giant her recipe soon gotten patented and produced by many of Etresna's allies. Employed in the late stages in the last war the Uruk experienced first hand the dreadful power of Etremaden's machineguns and was intent on acquiring this power for themselves. Using espionage the Uruk stole the patent and their chemists spent over two years to develop an alternative, Karikabuum. The process was eerily similar yet the compounds utilized were different. Davariskk sued the Uruk for infringing her patent yet after years of feud she lost the case. At the same time she received severe backlash for providing "savages" with the keys to modern weaponry.

Orcish Steel - Oflsong

Translate as "strong iron" Oflsong is an orcish variation of steel using extreme temperatures and their native resources. Oflsong is made from Hokur (meteoric nickel-iron ore) mixed with high temperature melt of Guratur (mysterious superheavy ore) and then undergoing rolling and heat treatment. Oflsong is known for its great strength and fairly good consistency. Objects made from the so-called "Orcish Steel" are known to be rather durable. On the other hand Oflsong is about 50% heavier than common steel which of course has an effect on performance. Naturally, Oflsong is a bit pricey even in Uruk so there are cheaper alternatives more commonly found where strength isn't a concern, they are collectively referred as Dong (weak steel).

MAGIC OVERVIEW

While never particularly amazing in this field Uruk has a long tradition of magical practices. This is strongly tied to their shaman caste and in particular the Laguurz. Those who receive official papers for spellcasting rights are colloquially referred as the Duushuurz. One problem for Uruk's magic research is exactly their attachment to the religious shaman caste which puts most of their effort in the development of their own branch of magic rather than gathering knowledge from a wider scope. While other schools of magic are known and even analyzed it is always in the view of how to improve shamanistic magic through them. It does mean most spellcasters know little aside from shamanistic magic which limits their options. For example the Uruk never developed spellcannons nor uses spellpowered engines.

Shamanistic magic itself centers on the knowledge of the elements and the use of nature spirits. With the world depleted of magic it is the shamans' belief that the spirits flowing through the world only retracted to the secret folds of reality, content to watch. Whether this theory is correct we have no way to confirm but at least the shamans believe they can still communicate with them. By contacting the spirits shamans can ask them to send avatars of their being to manifest within the magical crystals. Other schools outside of Uruk teach that the shamans create artificial spirits from the crystal's magic which then cast spells by their own volition. Whichever is actually true the result is the same, shamans make spirits inhabit the crystal to cast spells rather than turning the magic directly for spellcasting like other schools. This is of course inefficient use of the already sparse magic power albeit with the side benefit of more complex uses. Although when you add up the wilful nature of the inhabiting spirits most magic users consider shamanism too bothersome to be practical. Instruments that use spirits are referred as charms, talismans or totems. Charms are constantly active and can have various effect, usually of beneficial nature. Talismans are magic tools that allow invoking the spirits for spells. Totems are the closest to spell engines of other nations as they have a spirit doing a specific task, albeit they are just as often function akin to larger charms.

Aside from the shamanistic magic, Laguurz also made decent advances in the field of alchemy. More importantly they have their own special form of communication using charm-papers and their own limited reserves of power. Depending on the sophistication of the charm paper it might only be capable of making simple signals like color changes up to even displaying entire sentences. Nobody knows when the orcs developed charm-papers but some theorize they existed even before them serving the Kratorian Empire.

ECONOMICAL OVERVIEW

Uruk economy is under central control with only limited private enterprises. Larger industries are generally under the authority of the Khagn, even if in just name. The government obviously also prioritizes war materials over civilian goods. Combined with the lackluster industrial development compared to their neighbor this means the Uruk mostly focus on internal trade and being a tariff state between multiple international land routes. Uruk products otherwise have a hard time to compete with others which does set back their economy.

Uruk does have a few ports but barring the naval docks of Ogbed they have little shipbuilding activity. Rather than sea routes Uruk put high emphasis on the development of their railworks, connecting the entirety of the empire. Off the rails though the situation is less optimal with the main form of transportation being animal-drawn carts and wagons. Although steam powered vehicles are widespread, especially for jobs that require more power like bulk transport or farm equipment. Gasoline and diesel powered vehicles are relatively rare, though. Uruk lacks the industry to build high-quality engines in huge quantities so aside from Grazob Motors Co. in the capital and a few tiny companies the only option for automobiles is to import them from foreign countries. On the other hand motorbikes enjoy a strange popularity, both import models and locally produced ones. Bikes made for orcs are usually made in the empire and in order to account for the weakness of import engines they use two of them. There are a limited number of bikes made entirely in Uruk, engine and all. Airplanes are rare in civilian use, the imperial administration turns what few planes they could get for transport and mailing duties. Of course if they aren't given outright to the military.

Pictures

Orcish Locomotive

Steam Trucks

Steam Wagon

Motorbike

Automobiles

Airplane

MILITARY OVERVIEW

The Ushatar forms the core of the Uruk military, practicing warfare and the tradition of warg riding from youth. They are learning how to fight from their parents and private teachers and upon the age of 13 they are sent to the military academy. This very much reflects the culture of knights in other nations. Ushatar are classically the officers and cavalry while the Shara does the grunt and logistics work. Snaga are not considered worthy of military duties nor wise to allow them to take arms thus they are almost entirely excluded from the military. In spite of the inherent caste system the military is overall a meritocratic organization where rank means more than status. Uruk troops are ferocious yet also highly disciplined. Punishment for misbehaving soldiers could be brutal and the leadership commands through rank, fear and a mixed sense of respect. Camaraderie is extremely valued and since ancient ages members of the same unit shared tent and were encouraged to work as a group. Aside from the imperial troop, which currently on average readiness numbers 12 million, they also have various defense forces created by the local governments and tribal lords. Outside of war the Uruk military is also important for maintaining public order and performing punitive raids against provinces that refuse bowing to the Khagn's will. Raids against neighboring countries are also common, using these occasions to keep their troops combat ready while also spreading fear to the borders. Doctrine wise the Uruk mostly follows the trends of Narrev, albeit with a strong preference for rapid strikes with mobile light forces before the main army mows down the rest. In this sense their warg riding cavalry still finds a lot of employment.

Uruk Organization Units

Shok,Shokim = Team (meaning "mate", "brother at arms", those who closely work together)
Kadar, Kadari = Squad (literally means "tent" as they share the same tent together)
Zajar, Zajari = Platoon (originates from "campfire" as these groups tended to share the same fire)
Rothar, Rothari = Company (originates from the word "circle", implying a circle of camps)
Kutoz, Kutozari = Battalion (means "garrison" and in the past such organizations often held forts)
Tuf, Tufri = Regiment (the word classically means "horde" and has a long tradition of military use)
Madhu, Madhuz = Division (shortening of the term Madhuurz'tuf meaning "Big Horde")
Bajrak, Bajrim = Army, Corps (archaic word for "tribe" and orcish army groups can get quite familiar)
Ushtarak, Ushtarim = Theater Force (Ushtarak is otherwise an archaic word for "army")

Infantry
Like every army in Narrev the orcs also rely on infantry as their main fighting force. Gijuurz is the name reserved for common infantryman which means "blooders", a word that does not seem to have a meaning until put into context. Infantry has the job to kill and to be killed on the battlefield with blood figuratively being their common currency. They are also connected by the blood and form something of a kinship in the process. As such in a sense Gijuurz can both mean "cannon fodder" and "blood brother", a respectful and dismissive term at the same time. Uruk infantry is known for their strong bonds, discipline and feared for their ferocity. What nobody associates the orcish troops with is marksmanship, all because of their doctrine. Uruk does not strive to make their infantry excellent shots, they are excellent soldiers. They are reasonably accurate up to 200 meters but once bullet drop and wind effects get in the way their lack of skill shows. In general orcish infantry won't even bother shooting targets from 500 or more meters, it would be just a waste of munition. Instead they are taught to rely on their support teams to bridge that gap by machinegun fire, rocket barrages or actual marksmen. Speaking of which every platoon has a marksman, a medicine man and a shaman. The latter two traces back to Uruk customs for shamans tending the camps and giving both their knowledge and religious support. They also keep records of the unit's deeds, less like a report and more as their personal tales.

Common Infantry Equipment

Kalluurz model 1881 - Rifle

Standard pattern orcish rifle using the new and powerful 12.6x42mm cartridge with Karikabuum smokeless powder. It's built sturdy and almost unwieldy for non-orcs. Bad mouths call it a rifle-club than a proper weapon because of its weigh and brutish nature. Perhaps in response to this the Inruurz 1880 (carbine variant, pictured above) has a large blade section for assault, supposedly to add recoil mass while also serving as a melee and trench tool. The sheer appearance of the weapon also have a known psychological effect which is well valued by the Uruk. The weapon has a 9 round internal 3x3 magazine which can be reloaded by 3-round stripper clips. Unlike other rifles Orcish guns also use a simplified straight pull bolt-action which coupled with the heavy cartridge makes it difficult to operate for weaker races. For orcs though the mechanism is simple to manufacture and can be reliably operated even during cold or mud. The 1.26cm Ugaur, or".496 Orcish" as called by others, is a relatively stumpy load with less velocity than common cartridges. The standard load are softpoint bullets which have dreadful effects on humans upon hit and also effective at fighting particularly large creatures. This is of course part of the Uruk doctrine on psychological warfare, intended to scare the enemy out of their wits in fear of getting shot by these.

Rothuurz model 1880 - Revolver

Kapuurz is the general Orcish term for pistols while Rothuurz specifically means revolver.The lack of precise tools make semi-automatic pistols a sorts of luxury item within the Empire and as such revolvers dominate. Rothuurz 1892 is a standardized and compact handgun issued for officers and anyone who could afford it. The weapon is chambered in 1.32cm Kapuan (.520 Savage for export markets) with dimensions of 13.2x33mm. The standard round uses a superheavy 30-gram softpoint bullet with the muzzle velocity of 320m/s (when fired from a 4" barrel, it could reach 400m/s otherwise). It has fearsome stopping power but also a tremendous kick which makes it unwieldy in the hands of weaker races. Even for an orc the weapon is made for measured shots rather than emptying the cylinder at wild abandon. Technical terms wise the Rothuurz 1880 is a 5-shot single action revolver with a short 4-inch barrel. It is designed for power, simplicity and easy portability. They are generally crude and hardly a collector's item but they do the job just fine.

Kordh - Orcish Saber

Kordh is a traditional Orcish sword design originating from the 16th century. It's essentially a more bulky saber made for orcish strength and were mostly preferred by cavalry. When sabers rose in popularity the orc embraced the Kordh further and it became a common weapon of defense to nearly all soldiers. Nowadays swords are no longer issued to regular troops (albeit they often acquire them regardless). On the other hand officers are required to carry swords and they can buy one like the above pictured Kam-Kordh 1879 which was designed to be cheap yet enduring using simple but effective methods. The sword has a knife handle and blade made of Olfsong. Cavalry also use Kordh type swords which are considerably longer and lack anything but the most basic guard. Due to their toughness and the power behind an orc's swing these swords can at times hack through even armor or chop people in half. These swords are rightfully feared.

Special Weapons:

Ma'kall 1891 - Revolver Machinegun

Crank-operated belt chain fed revolver gun chambered for the new 1.26cm Ugaur ammunition. While the Uruk aren't alien to automatic guns their industry still struggles to create the fine machinery required for them at large scale. Added up with its reliability issues compared to their corps of skilled crank-machinegun operators means the Uruk didn't adopt Maxim-style guns at wide scale. Ma'kall 1901 isn't the first machinegun to utilize the new round, either. It was preceded by the Ma'kall 1880 which used top-fed magazines akin to the old Gatlings. With the invention of belt-feed these weapons were rendered obsolete, though. As such they rebuilt the old guns and switched the production for the new Ma'kall 1891s. As said these weapons use revolving chambers with a single barrel instead of the Gatling's revolving barrels. This technically strains the barrel more but water cooling mechanisms can solve that. The weapon uses non-disintegrating chain-belts to feed 1.26cm Ugaur ammunition. Due to this mechanism and being cartridged for larger munitions the orcish "machineguns" weight considerably more than usual, albeit it doesn't deter the orcs. The weapon has a light and heavy variant. The heavy variant is mounted on wheeled carriages and tripods and issued on the regimental level with 4 guns forming the machinegun platoon. The light variant is shorter and occasionally even without the water jacket that has disc-shaped pouch for a small 50-round ammunition belt. Every company can have one "light" machinegun team albeit these are often combined on the battalion level for higher coordination. Thanks to their cheapness the Ma'kall is quite numerous in issue and Uruk often has more guns than the enemy. On the other hand their crank-driven machineguns tend to have low rate of fire and can fatigue the users much faster than gas-operated weaponry found in other nations.

Roth'kal 1884 - Gatling Gun

While revolver guns performed admirably the issues of overheating remained a concern. As such for divisional level the Uruk army still relies on gatlings. Called as the Roth'kal 1884 it served as a testbed for multiple innovations later seen in the 1891 model revolver machineguns. It fires the 1.26cm Ugaur munition and sports rails for a telescopic sight in case of long range suppressive fire. As divisional guns the Roth'kal is almost always mounted on modified light artillery carriages and they accept belt-fed munitions. Roth'kal 1897 like its predecessors are effectively treated as artillery and staffed by an entire squad. Due to having multiple people, fatigue for cranking the guns is rarely an issue and the mechanism is modified to allow a separate person to spin it than the one operating the gun. Roth'kal 1897s are also semi-frequently equipped with mantlets to protect against incoming bullets or artillery splinters.

Kaluurz 1888 Shoflag - Sniper Rifle

New production rifle made for precise shooting. Shoflaguurz in the past were given model 1880 rifles but those proved too crude for the job. The 1888 model takes inspirations from rifles from other countries, especially the Sidara and Etremaden types. For the sake of logistics the gun uses the same 1.26cm Ugaur cartridges albeit it has the capacity to accept longer cases for future special rounds. The rifle sports a more complex toggle lock mechanism which allows quicker pulls with less vibrations, increasing both rate of fire and second shot accuracy.Length-wise the model 1888 is somewhere between the rifle and carbine versions of the M1888 for easier portability. Its internal magazine also only accepts a single 3-round stripper clip, albeit as well-practiced shooters a Shoflaguurz can reload within seconds while keeping an eye on target. The Shoflag variant has a rail along with the standard iron sight to accept telescopic sights. Scopes are not always issued to platoon level marksmen and this forces them to rely on the iron sight which thanks to the Etremaden inspirations is actually fairly decent. A stark contrast with the rudimentary sights offered for model 1880 rifles.

Kamab'Karijak - Portable Rocket

Translates as "foot rocket", a light 6cm diameter class rocket used in 3-stand batteries at the company level. Their maximum range is in the excess of 3 kilometers albeit this is only used for saturation fire at large scale battles. More often the rockets are ranged for 500-1000 meters where their relative inaccuracy is more manageable. That being said even with the new Karikabuum based solid rocket propellants the Karijak are not precision artillery. Instead they rely on the volume of fire with 3 teams rapidly launching 3-9 rockets each within a minute, depending on conditions. Of course this comes at no surprise that a company could run out of rockets fairly quick and as such they try to rely on them sparingly. Each rocket costs more than a common orcish rifle so misuse is not tolerated. Regardless their utility is unquestionable and the whizz of the approaching rockets has quite the effect on the enemy morale.

Kamab'Ghashkudhuurz - Infantry Flamethrower (still prototype)

Flamethrower currently in just development, designed for portability by a single infantryman on the march. It's a heavily simplified design unlike carts and warg mounted variants which have yet to be used at wide scale. Like its predecessors the weapon has separate tanks for fuel and propelling agent. Compared to the larger variants the infantry version would have considerably less capacity, only enough for 15 seconds of continuous fire and at a reduced range of about 15 meters instead of 30. Regardless the weapon should work well in assaulting trenches and fortifications, or at least hoped as such by the high command. When fully issued, every assault company can own at least one flamethrower troop.

Cavalry
Since its birth as a nation or even before Uruk always prided themselves on their warg cavalry. They have long traditions of breeding and taming wargs, treating them almost like family members. By the modern era of course these traditions are slowly eroding while animal power is becoming more and more expensive in comparison to machines. In spite of this, most Ushatar families retained their cavalry traditions and they form the core of the Uruk mobile forces along with their large retinue. Wargs are also essential as beasts of burden, be it carrying supplies or towing artillery. While steam trucks and tractors are slowly spreading when off the rails the chief method of transport are still wargs and various contraptions towed by them. As for the cavalry, the new age also inspires the Uruk government to experiment with motorized measures. Motorbikes in particular are gaining popularity with dozens of regiments centered on them.

Warg

While horses aren't particularly rare and compete with them for civilian use the military almost exclusively rely on wargs for both cavalry and transport purposes. These are wolf-like omnivorous mammals with ferocious looks, good endurance and impressive sprinting speed. They can eat almost anything including grass, feed, fruits, meat or even corpses on the battlefield. Wargs were essential for the tactics of the raiding orcs who often roamed the lands without any supplies and the Uruk are still fond of them. Their fearsome appearance and overall ferocity also makes them fit for their doctrine even if the days of the cavalry are steadily vanning. Taming wargs is difficult and they pose more dangers than horses yet for cultural reasons they are quite commonly found within the Uruk Empire.

Military Motorbikes

Orcish motorbikes are large, loud and comparatively powerful. They're often driven by not one but two motorbike engines and preferably on large wheels. In part this is due to the inherent weight difference between humans and orcs but also since the Uruk considers motorbikes the continuation of their cavalry traditions. Consequently they want a vehicle that can be packed full of equipment and be capable of crossing rough terrain. In regards to the latter as suspension technology has yet to mature the orcs are constantly dissatisfied with. As such most Uruk strategists don't believe in bikes completely replacing wargs anytime soon. Another interesting feature of bikes is the inclusion of sidecars. While this further limits the vehicle to roads it allows mounting far more equipment along with an extra passenger. There are efforts to use machineguns mounted on sidecars.

Kalroth - Steam Wheels

One of the newest products of Uruk weapons development fielded just recently.They are basally a giant wheel each propelled by steam power and steered by a smaller wheel at the back. Kaltrothari are experimental vehicles trying to push the orcish cavalry tactics into the 20th century. The two-man contraption is equipped with a steam-spun revolver gun and has numerous spikes and blade protrusions both for psychological effect and added shock factor during charges. The wooden wheel backed with metal reinforcements is resilient enough to cross rough terrain. Yet the Kalroth is an awkward contraption with numerous issues. For example it needs periscopes and numerous other aids in order to just see straight. In spite of that the Uruk claim their Kalroth will have excellent off-road mobility superior to regular bikes, although obviously lacking in speed when traversing paved roads.

Armored Trains

Uruk Empire controls a huge expanse of land, too large to be covered on foot. With minor uprisings all too common the Uruk chose to turn their railway transports for war. Armored trains are akin to gunboats on rails, mounting small artillery in turrets along with machinegun ports with the entire body covered in armor sufficient to shrug off small arms or shell splinters. Armored Trains have various components, the one shown in the picture is the gun car for direct defense. Each car also has its own auxiliary engine, making them self-propelled when necessary or assist in the train's load. These trains can of course also tow railway artillery, carry troops or transport war goods closer to the front without the vulnerability of regular trains.

Railway Dreadnought

Secret military project enabling the transportation of huge amount of goods with a locomotive almost akin to a dreadnought. The train is still development and requires two parallel railways to travel. This is obviously costly to build and even with the full plans they don't expect to drive this monstrosity anywhere but between priority lines. The project itself might be even too ambitious and has numerous cost overruns. Regardless the leadership is impressed enough with the idea to keep the funding.

Artillery
Uruk never neglected the role of artillery and until the 19th century they were among the leaders on the continent. During the last century though the Uruk were always playing catch-up and nowadays their tubes are considered inferior to the guns employed by Etresna or Rotteburg. While lacking in quality they do make up with quantity and especially in terms of lighter artillery they have no shortages. Rocketry is also an unique face of the orcish artillery, light rocket units are even assigned on the company level. Light artillery in general makes use of wargs for transport and the so-called "warg artillery" is still a popular doctrine within the Empire. Advances to maps, signals and mathematics also help. Forward observers and map makers are the key elements of the new indirect fire based artillery. Uruk doctrine puts more emphasis on mobility and thus for most engagements light artillery is all they could employ. During prolonged battles or preparing for sieges they might deploy heavy artillery. These are either towed by steam wagons but more commonly disassembled into parts and carried by wargs warg carts prior to setting them up. A relatively innovative portion of Uruk heavy artillery are their collection of railway guns. These elongated train cars house some of the greatest artillery pieces the Uruk have ever made, comparable to their coastal defense batteries. Indeed, at least some of them are originating from naval projects.

Notable Artillery

Gajarkal 4cm 1890 - First intended as a replacement of outdated rifled falconets for the cavalry in the end it proved unsatisfactory due to its weak explosive content. Regardless they are issued to Ogres as standard rifle who keep producing them in large numbers. Ogres also made a few modifications to better serve as a personal rifle. The new variant is at times even referred as 4cm Vagun'Kal (40mm giant rifle) to further set it apart from the original artillery. Some cavalry units still use the 4cm Gajarkal but generally the 7cm guns replaced them.

Gajarkal 7cm 1892 - Comparable to mountain guns of other nations the Gajarkal is used by cavalry and mountain troops. The weapon can be disassembled for easier portability and compared to most mountain guns it has a longer barrel and higher shell velocity.

Bubartas 7cm 1881 - Light howitzer used by cavalry and for situations where field howitzers are too cumbersome. Consequently their performance is inferior to the mainline howitzers of most armies and the current shells are known to carry too little shrapnel.

Bubartas 10cm 1901 - New type of field howitzer rapidly phasing out the old 1881 models. Unlike its predecessor it's lighter with a recoil mechanism and without the requirement to disassemble them into two parts for transport.

Bahud 10cm 1880 - Classic mortar mounted on an old type carriage, firing 10cm shells.

Bahud 15cm 1881 - Heavy mortar developed around the same time as its lighter counterpart.

Bubartas 15cm 1899 - Heavy howitzer nowadays called up on divisional level.

Strigzuurz 15cm 1904 - Heavy artillery used for long range bombardment, although few in number.

Bahud 25cm 1901 - Superheavy mortar used for sieges.

Strigzuurz 20cm 1910 - Superheavy cannon still in the testing phases, meant to better bridge the gap between Uruk and Etremaden artillery.

Bubartas 30cm 1900 - Siege howitzer made to break fortifications. While adopted for a while most military strategists feel it unnecessary and unfit for the Uruk method of mobility warfare. As such they are only produced in very limited numbers.

Sha'bartuurz 45cm 1908 "Gothmog" - Superheavy howitzer made to destroy fortifications, just out of the testing phase. It weighs 50 tons and requires half a day of assembly on the field but its capability to fire shells in nearly the 1-ton range makes it a terrifying weapon.

Karijak - Rockets

Technology with roots dating to times of the old Far West, before the Segon Dynasty came into power. Karijak are related to ancient rockets, using lower grade gunpowder as solid propellant. The Uruk adopted rockets early and kept them as staple element of their artillery ever since then. Over the centuries karijak underwent many changes yet their essential way of use is the same. Unlike ordinance the rockets are known for "soft" launch which means they can be fired from very light platforms. This allows the Uruk to maintain their mobility while still having the ability to lay down artillery fire. Rockets can have decent explosive payload and respectable range but the ammunition they use is always much larger thus limiting the stockpiles. Another issue is their accuracy, rockets are incapable of the same precision as modern gun tubes so in order to have any sorts of effectiveness they need to be fired in large numbers at once. On the other hand rockets can also easily lay down massive barrages within a short time while conventional artillery struggles with it. Karijak didn't replace gun based artillery for the Uruk but became a fine complement to it. Aside from standard explosive and fragmentation warheads the Uruk also has some unique types. Smoke and flare variants see utility while special incendiary warheads are used against dug in positions. One of the most unusual element of Uruk rocketry is the VrasKragor ("Killfang") which is a Talisman-induced enchantment, imbuing warheads with a frenzied fire spirit to seek out nothing but destruction. This results in the rocket steering itself during the terminal phases to a limited degree, seeking out the largest concentration of lives it could find. Of course the fire spirit has no concept of military value nor it can determine if its destructive effects are guaranteed to take out its foes. In addition the spirit has no friends and if aimed wrongly it could easily strike your own troops. Regardless the imbued rockets have more acceptable accuracy albeit at relatively high cost as of course this relies on Uruk's magic resources.

Common Types of Rocketry:
- Kamab'Karijak - 6cm rockets made in staggering numbers and used to support infantry.

- Karijak'Strigz - 9cm rockets made to supplement field howitzers.

- Karijak'Ros - 12cm rockets fit for destroying moderate fortifications and usually having longer range performance (depends on the amount of propellant and chosen fin design).

- Sha'Karijak - Rockets of varying size but usually above 15cm diameter meant for sieges, comparable to superheavy guns in destructive performance.

Ia'Karijak - Balloon Artillery

Cooperation between the Artillery and Balloon Corps, technically belonging to both. It consists of a scaffolding, rocket battery equipment and 4-8 observation balloons. After the setup the balloons lift up the scaffolding along with the artillery crew and anchored to a fixed position, effectively becoming a large kite balloon contraption. Thanks to its altitude which is often in the excess of 1000m it enabled the Uruk to lob rockets at greater ranges, preferably outranging their opponents. In addition the balloons are in theory invulnerable to counter battery fire. That being said the system is cumbersome and of course vulnerable to enemy aircraft. Effective communication also require a telegram wire which can further add to the setup time and costs. All in all balloon artillery is a niche tactic only effective in specific situations. As a newly developed doctrine the adoption of balloons for extended artillery support is only in its beginning stages.

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Railway Artillery

Train cars repurposed to house artillery. While locomotives are essential to transport large guns the difference here is that these don't require to leave the train and instead they form a weapon system by themselves. Railway artillery are known for their mobility and relatively quick capability to deploy. On the other hand they are obviously limited to railways. There are numerous variants to the idea involving cars with multiple medium artillery pieces, rocket artillery but most popularly it uses a single long tube heavy artillery (as pictured above). The latter has the advantage of range (best within the Uruk Empire) but with the issue of the gun being incapable of turning. The solution was (as pictured) to build specialized railways to move the entire vehicle to position which worked out perfectly. While relatively costly the advantage of having long range artillery is not lost to the Uruk.

Air Force
Given their dated technology and economical problems you might be surprised to learn that Uruk does have an air force. If anything Uruk has a long history of balloon corps for recon and observation and maintain a fair number of these. Blimps are essential for mapping and observation of enemy troops. In contrast their adoption of airplanes was... troubled, to say the least. Uruk recognizes the value of aircraft but currently lacks the industry and skilled labor to produce them in large scale. Uruk does posses biplanes which usually do recon and messaging duties but they also have an experimental squadron of modified planes specializing to hunt down enemy balloon observers.

Air Force Terms

Iandur - Balloon
Iandar - Airship
Ia'Karijak - Balloon mounted rocket battery (see artillery)
Krora - Airplane
Shun'Flatuurz - Biplane
Ia'Etuurz - Balloon Hunter (plane role)

Navy
As a mostly landlocked nation the orcs never had a formidable naval force. That being said it doesn't mean they didn't try naval invasions before and given the present geopolitics the fear of the Etremaden and Cethosi navy did inspire them to modernize. Uruk navy due to its tight budget currently has only two objectives. First being coastal defense against a potential naval invader and second being the patrol of their territorial rivers, special notion to Kukulum (Ruby River) which crosses the Empire. As such most Uruk ships are not rated for open sea warfare and they generally focus on small vessels. Torpedo boats and mine warfare are particularly attractive while monitor class vessels tend to be the common "warship" to the Uruk fleet. Uruk is in the possession of only one dreadnought, built by their Kyrennosi vassals.

Traits

- War Masters - Positive Trait: Uruk is a warlike nation built on conquests. Military prowess is at the forefront and they have a long tradition of warriors. While far from having the best troops or the most advanced military the Uruk government excels at recruitment of soldiers, procuring equipment and supplying them with adequate logistics. Thanks to this they can afford a huge yet highly disciplined army that dwarfs most nations.

- Greenskin Genes - Mixed Trait:Greenskins or orcoids are a diverse mashup of races sharing similar outward characteristics and a particular list of genes. The strange part about greenskins comes up when they interbreed with other races, almost invariably siring another greenskin. Over the millennia the greenskins spread through the continent and now form a sizeable portion of the population, only ever growing. This and their reputation of savagery often makes them targets of prejudice.

- Shamanism - Mixed Trait: Uruk practices the ancient orcish spellcraft and religion known as shamanism. They believe in nature spirits who belong to either of the four elemental categories and skilled shamans are known to be calling up their aid. Shamanism is nuanced and works indirectly through the acts of "spirits". This makes shamanistic magic less predictable but capable of more complex deeds. While Uruk studies other forms of magic the government and the public only accepts shamanism which somewhat hinders their magical development.

- Foreign Stockholders - Mixed Trait: Uruk is a poor but rapidly developing nation with lots of promise. That and the existing alliance systems made the empire's industries quite attractive to certain investors like those from Sidara and Faenaria. This pumps money into the otherwise weak economy of the empire to further improve their technology and industry yet on the other hand it also means foreign powers can have strange influence over Uruk.

Rolls

THE URUK EMPIRE

20 (18+2) - Your nation is the cream of the crop, and up to a quarter of the globe is under your command. Vast lands are yours to command.
11 (10+1) - Tech - Your nation is a mix of antiquated and modern, as modernization efforts are in full swing.
20 - Army Size - A worryingly large amount of your population is active-duty military. It is maintained year-round, and seems almost infinite.
5 (2+3) - Your economy is weak, and is teetering on a recession
12 (11+1) - Production - Your nation is somewhat majority industrial, with decent resource exploitation.
5 (2+3) - Navy Size - You have a tiny navy. It is largely simple merchant vessels.
7 (9-2) - Airforce Size - You have a few biplanes.
12 (13-1) - Magic - Your nation is above average.
14 (16-2) - Mobilization Ability - It takes a month to mobilize.

[bloonewb]

Shahdom of Kera-Bijan

Name of Nation: Shahdom of Kera-Bijan

Government: Constitutional Monarchy - While the shah is a hereditary title, the satraps under him are elected by the common people, as part of a series of liberalization reforms placed by previous shahs. Succession is a difficult matter, with sister assassinating brother for a place in line for the crown and civil wars brewing mere hours after death.

Species: While the overwhelming majority of the Kera-Bijani are regular humans, there do exist a large majority of oddities within the outlying regions of the shahdom. There are places where magic is strong, and the climate harsh, so much so that the settlers there have begun to change form to adapt. Those living in the plateaus have become short and thin, so much so that an adult of the mountain people is about the size of a child in the cities. On the other end of the spectrum, those that settled in the steppes have grown into giants, easily reaching three meters, and have gained the ability to subsist on the grass itself. All three races identify strongly as human.

Population: The population tends to hover around 50 million people, held steady by the unforgiving environment and the constant border disputes between satraps. While the colonization of the region did cause a population boom, the occupying forces have by and large returned to their homes.

Culture and History

Culture: The Kera-Bijani faith revolves around five gods, they being Wise Fire, Wise Water, Wise Air, Wise Wood, and Wise Metal. Originally, the five kept supreme control over the universe, and the humans lived in paradise. The gods created a human, who was in all ways virtuous, and they, proud of their work, created a second. The second, however, was envious of the love the first shared with the gods, and sought to disturb their sacred relationship. That second human worked day and night, creating a weapon to destroy the universe, which upon creation he named dishonesty. The moment he spoke the first lie, from his mouth sprang five deities of evil, Corrupt Fire, Corrupt Water, Corrupt Wood, Corrupt Air, and Corrupt Metal.

The good gods found themselves outnumbered. There are five deities protecting nature, but six, five plus the evil human, trying to destroy it. So from their minds cam a prophecy, telling of a shah who will one day deify himself by leading a life of maximum purity. When that day comes, each good god will slay his evil counterpart, and take supreme control over the universe again, with a sixth and most supreme member within their ranks.

It is under this faith that the three peoples of Kera-Bijan stand behind, it bringing each other together and unifying them against enemy forces. The lives of every subject, barring the least pious ones, revolve around adhering to the texts written by the gods themselves, the first human, and the many philosopher-shahs from eons past. The texts speak highly of a purity of the self, as well as a harmonious relationship with nature and the five pure forms, and to manipulate nature in any way is considered an affront to the purity of the relevant form. People are encouraged to live simply, to honor others, and to be forever honest.

Magic, too, is considered sacred, and is viewed as the will of the gods upon earth. Temples prominently feature magic crystals in their sacrifice, feeding it to fire, sprinkling it in lakes and on the earth, and scattering its fine powder into the very air. Some consider the use of magic the only pure way to manipulate the environment, while others claim that to use it is sacrilege in itself. The most recent shahs, however, tend to lean towards the former side, and thus the latter side has chosen to be silent as of late.

History: There was once a time when the city people were also many infighting tribes, distrustful of both the mountain people and the steppe people. That was nearly two thousand years ago, and a time no Kera-Bijani looks upon with much respect. From this soup of diffusion and war came a legendary figure, Demes Kehmeyid, who the priests said from birth was destined. He expanded both his dynasty and his land through genius military tactic and even more genius diplomacy. When he conquered the land held by an enemy tribe, he declared its chief his own brother, and forced their family to take on the Kehmeyid name. Through this, he fostered brotherhood within all of the chiefdoms, and declared himself the first shah of the Kera-Bijan Peninsula. He was assassinated but five months into his rule, and replaced with one of the conquered chiefs, but the dynasty survived.

It was the second shah's third son, Vedad Kehmeyid, who expanded his territory to include the steppe and mountain people. It was through his strong faith and charisma that many clans joined his cause, following proselytization and integration of their cultures. Those who didn't join the shahdom were violently subject to genocide, the remaining ones loyal to both faith and shah.

Five hundred years of relative stability followed, and assassinations within the satrapies and royal family reached record minimums, although never quite reaching non-existence. However, when a magnificent fleet sailed over the horizon, carrying an army from a far-off land, that peace was over. War tore apart the peninsula, with the invading army cutting swaths of territory out of the shahdom for themselves, even driving the royal family out of the capital and killing the reigning shahbanu, three of her brothers, and nine of her sisters.

The people, however, rallied again, under the hero Bandaves Kehmeyid, and pushed the now-depleted foreign army back into the sea. In the process, they captured documents, maps, and jewelry, all speaking of a land far west, rich in all goods and developing in all sciences. The foreigners came from a land called Kratoria, and their neighbors were many. The newly-crowned Shah Bandaves immediately set to work building a grand and mighty fleet, that he may trade and conquer in this new world. He died before he would realize his dream, assassinated by his cousin, and the project was cut before it was completely realized.

It was following the rebellion against the Kratorians that the northern peoples, led by the race-purist separatist Satrap Qaro, defied Shah Bandaves' successor and rebelled. Qaro launched brutal genocides against the steppe and mountain people living in his and his allies' satrapies, claiming to want to restore the pure human race. Those few who survived escaped southwards and eastwards into Kera-Bijani land, as armies serving under the shah advanced northward to reintegrate the revolting satrapies. He and the next four shahs would die over the course of thirty years in combat against the new realm of Qaroitn.

Eventually, the dust settled, and while skirmishes and raids still exist along the borderlands of the two rival nations, a relative peace has established itself, in no small part due to war exhaustion on both ends. The shahbanu finally completed the task of creating a trade fleet and navy, and sent them westward on a voyage of exploration and trading. Twenty long years passed, and within that time the shahbanu that sent the voyage was assassinated and replaced, before the fleet returned. It was laden with goods and stories, nearly all wondrous and in admiration of the western world. With the exotic trade goods they brought back, the shahdom entered another five centuries of relative peace and isolation.

This peace was broken by the arrival of the island foreigners on two fronts. Those who landed in the cities demanded to be brought before the shah himself, offering gifts of glasswork and bitter herbs in exchange for food. The shah and the present satraps agreed, creating a flourishing trade relationship with their homeland, the islands of Faenaria. Those who landed on the steppes, however, saw less fortune. The steppe peoples, fearful of the alien races that have come to their shores, launched an attack upon the new settlement, hoping to plunder them of their riches and drive them back to sea. The shah had to personally lead an army against his own people, just to preserve the valuable products coming in from the islands. The battle was considered a black day on the honor of both the faith and the royal family, and led to nearly a century of distrust between the steppe tribes and the city people before the new shahbanu could repair it.

Regardless, the islands brought in products from the western world that revolutionized life in Kera-Bijan, not least of which was the firearm. To use it was a controversial practice, with the traditionalists calling it an unforgivable affront and the radicals hailing it as a step forward for the nation. Further controversies were sparked with the arrival of magical weapons, ironside ships, and factories. However, they passed into public use anyways, headed by the progress-oriented shahs and satraps of the last century.

It was from this period of rapid modernization that riots broke out in all the major cities, calling for an end to the appointment of satraps. They demanded a voice in the government, the way Kratorians would appoint their senates by the majority of people agreeing upon it. The shahbanu, fearing for her nation's stability, approved of this concept and set to negotiating a term length and limit. However, she was found dead before anything was agreed upon, and her successor set the term to life, with the promise that it would be sorted out. He was assassinated soon after.

It is his second daughter's first son, Tivaz Kehmeyid, that rules now as the current shah. Two elder sisters came before him, but they were killed. Now he, but fourteen, has been thrust upon the throne, and the country holds their breath, awaiting his response to the impending crisis.

Economy and Technology

Economy: Kera-Bijan is hardly an industrial nation. Its religion discourages the building of factories and encourages the open lifestyle of the farm, making large businesses incompatible with the Kera-Bijani way of living. Despite that, modernization is an inevitable process, and textile manufacturing has in large part moved from the homes to the workplaces. Cloths of all kinds are worked in large quantities in the trading cities, from cotton to silk, linen, and flax. Robes and carpets and stockings and even Kratorian-style togas are plentiful within the empire and exported in large quantities to its neighbors.

There is little to no oil in Kera-Bijani grounds, and even if there were, to make use of it is sacrilege. Perhaps the gods themselves knew this, for they filled the land with two elements; gold, and magic. It was once said that a man could walk along the surface and collect enough magical stones to fill a basket. Even today, it takes a minimal amount of mining to come out of any Kera-Bijani mountain, arms laden with gold nuggets and magic crystals. It helps, then, to have a valuable neighbor in their neighbor, Faenaria, who buys products from both ends of the world and trades it to much-needed hands on the other side, allowing Kera-Bijan to on some level keep up with their western contemporaries.

Technology: As far as technology goes, Kera-Bijan is not going to be leading the world any time soon. Much of the technology active within the shahdom are nearly half a century out of date, and their design is often borrowed from their neighbors. Most importantly, factions led by traditionalist satraps actively attempt to block state support for advances in technology, on the grounds that tampering with the ways of nature is an unforgivable affront to the five gods. Modern forms of weaponry, such as the explosive shell and the machine gun, are beyond the minds of the Kera-Bijani scientists, and what technology does is often substituted with magic, considered by all to be more harmonious.

Military

Army: Working metal to produce swords and guns, while technically an affront to the purity of metal, is by sheer necessity tolerated within the shahdom. The world progresses forth in technology, some aspects of the life of purity will inevitably be left behind, and the army understands this better than any. The Storm Guard is the backbone of the Kera-Bijani army, comprised of riflemen fighting in a lockstep formation. Accompanying them is the Wildfire Corps, skirmishers and snipers tasked with harrying the opponent before they meet with the Storm Guard. However, the pride of the Kera-Bijani army is in its cavalry, the Iron Cataphracts, a swift force capable of shooting from horseback.

Armies are led traditionally by the shah and his satraps, and this practice is still in effect today. The royal family is fortunately populous, for the loss of a shah in open combat is all too common a tragedy. The satraps, though in service for life upon election, tend not to survive longer than a single decade, and elections are common.

The cavalry is equipped with early forms of shotguns, breech loaded and single shot, very often short-barreled. The gun is intended to be fired from horseback, where the soldier could beat a hasty retreat out of an enemy's accurate range. It is, within the bounds of the shahdom, state of the art, and devastating when used against the ranked formations commonly seen in the eastern continent. Infantry is given a modified form of early Kratorian rifles, out of date in the modern age, equipped with a revolver's ammo reserve so that it may fire six times in quick succession. Skirmishers have the worst of it. While their rifles are the longest ranged weapons of the three army branches, they are even more out of date than the infantry guns, and tend to misfire in dusty or wet conditions.

Navy: The Kera-Bijani have a sizable navy, though a little old fashioned. The primary material used to build them are wood, made from trees specially grown along the coast. The trees have been twisted by magic, in a manner which encourages them to grow into the shape of a ship. When they are considered large enough to hold a crew, the tree is uprooted in a way that allows them to fall in the water, ready for sailing. Although a significant affront to the purity of metal, the navy has done extensive research regarding ironclad ships, and all but the most tradition-minded of admirals keep ironclad fleets propelled by magical means.

The guns on a Kera-Bijani ship, however, are wildly out of date. Most, if not all, ships were broadsides, and the cannons used on them are most often fireball cannons and 36-pound shells, with the intention of softening up an enemy's metal before pounding them in. The Kera-Bijani do not keep explosive shells, as that is an affront to both fire and metal too great to be tolerated.

Air Force: The idea of humans flying is repulsive to the Kera-Bijani, as it is an affront to the purity of air. They keep no air force, and regard poorly those who do.

Rolls

Territory: 3+6 (9) Your nation is decently sized, with room for cities and lots of farmland to support your population.
Tech: (9) Your nation is still antiquated, but modernization is about to begin or in its beginning stages.
Army Size: 9+4 (13) Your army is well-sized, and maintained on a year-round basis.
Economy: 16+1 (17) Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is.
Production: 7-1 (6) Your nation is somewhat agrarian, with okay natural resource exploitation.
Navy Size: (14) You have a decently sized navy, with a fairly militarized portion.
Airforce Size: 5-4 (1) You have no air force.
Magic: (18) Your nation is a leader in magical development and use, almost second to none. Your prowess with magic allows you to neglect the technological side of things, compensating for an absence of modern artillery with fireball launchers, scant telecommunications with short distance scrying and telepathy.
Mobilization: (16) It takes a month to mobilize.

Traits
Society of Purity: The Kera-Bijani people find that the purity of the body is the highest state of being one may strive to be. They shun intoxicants, such as alcohol and drugs, so as not to corrupt their own bodies and invite evil to fester within. The society strongly looks down upon both excessive gluttony or excessive temperance, and the food is never inflicted with preservatives. Purity of the body is only as strong as purity of the mind, and thus the Kera-Bijani reinforce their purity of mind through good works. They dare not speak dishonesty for fear of weakening the integrity of the universe, and treat their neighbors with respect and good spirit. Most importantly, they keep their environment clean, minimizing waste within the things they use and caring for the living things, for it is they who hold up the five gods.

Might and Magic: Although the technology sector of the Kera-Bijani world flounders, its magical world flourishes. Ley lines stretch across the nation, allowing instant contact between the shah and his satraps as far away as the steppes and as high up as the tallest plateaus. Water, scarce on the surface, is willed up from deep reserves where other peoples would have to drill for it, seeping through the ground upwards to where crops may access it. Magic pushes the pistons that make Kera-Bijani ships go, and enables the deadly fire cannons that keep the navy strong. It is because of this power that the shahdom is still has voice in the world, and its neighbors would do well to listen.

Brotherhood Among Humanity: In many respects, the life of the city people and that of the steppe and mountain peoples are vastly different. The city people are content to build, develop, and trade with foreign species and races. They are proud of their communities, and live social lives. The other two are anything but. The steppe peoples have a long history of conflict with their neighbors in Faenaria, often raiding over the borders with the intent of killing the non-humans. They do not tend to build anything larger than a yurt, and live nomadic clan-oriented lifestyles. The mountain people are even more hostile to outsiders, living either alone or in small family units. They, unlike the herbivorous steppe people, are strictly carnivorous, and raise great herds of mountain goats to eat and trade with the city people. The city people view the mountain people and the steppe people as brothers, and the feeling is mutual, but the mountain people and the steppe people each regard the other as something alien, and thus tend towards animosity regarding one another.

Foreign Relations
Faenaria: Excellent. They are Kera-Bijan's primary trade partner.
Etresna: Good enough. They have a working trade relation.
Kratoria: Fair. Since the conquest, there has been some diffusion between the two.
Qaroitn: Very hostile. Kera-Bijani are honor-bound to kill Qaroitn on sight.

[Aleranicus]

The Republic of Faenaria

Government: Autocracy, with a Human Senate to advise and consent

Her Majesty the Autocrat, Scion of Faenar, Ayiti Faenar
Great Cacique (Prime Minister) Karaya, the Speaker of The Yarana
Chancellor of the Purse, Liana Ginaran
Lord of the Admiralty Ralay, Sailor of the Baral

Species: Merfolk (Formerly Cethosi; see History), Human, Imperial Fae


(A "Merfolk" warrior, circa 1608)

The Sea Peoples of Faenaria are an exiled clan of Cethosi, fleeing the isles in the face of what they viewed as a senseless waste of life. The normally insular Cethosi were confronted with cultures that viewed them as almost mythical beings called "merfolk". Rather than correct the humans, the Sea Peoples decided to accept this rechristening of their species. For three-hundred years now, they have presented themselves as Merfolk to other races.

A small community of Fae from the Kratorian Empire call Loa Nota home. While they are Imperial Citizens, they enjoy a protected status within Faenaria so long as they posses proper documentation.

Culture: Faenarian culture is that of two peoples that have joined as one. Having abandoned the madness of the Cethosi homeland, the Merfolk were adopted by the human tribes of the Sunrise Isles. This is both literally and metaphorically- the Rahuri tribal law allow any fit adult to adopt an individual into their family. As part of the price for their settlement, the Merfolk had to consent to being joined as family with their new hosts. This Great Joining of peoples gave the Merfolk hope and purpose by adopting the ways of their new hosts.

Rahuri art and culture reflects struggle against the sea- its storms, its monsters, and its deprivations. The worship two deities. Mama Tortue, the Great Turtle, She who Shepherds and Protects. And Tiburon, The Protector, The Shark Whose Maw Consumes. They also practice a form of ancestor worship, seeking guidance from those who came before.

Rahuri hold hospitality sacred. Denying shelter to one who means no harm is a grave taboo, but it is acceptable to shut one's door in the face of danger. They also place special emphasis on curiosity and exploration. The normally insular, isolationist Cethosi were content to shut themselves off from the world. The Merfolk have gone a full one-hundred-eighty degrees in the opposite direction.

Households are made up of a mixture of humans and the adopted Merfolk. The heads of the household can be either male or female, and same-sex couples do exist within these households as a legal holdover from the Rahuri.

(A Rahuri seafarer, circa 1658)

Rahuri surnames are tied to location and profession. Rather than Joe Smith, a Rahuri would be titled "Joseph, Car Mechanic from New York."

While the Faenarians have maintained the culture of hospitality among themselves, their Golden Fleet has brought wealth and splendor unheard of in the past hundred years. The Merfolk arrived as beggars, desperate for a homeland. Within a century they began to build the Sunrise Isles into a nation-state. The Rahuri and the Merfolk chafe at these rapid changes, but so far the Rahuri have not repudiated their Hospitality. The Caciques have formed a Council of Rulers to interact with the Merfolk Autocrat, the direct descendant of Loanast Faenarie who holds the sacred pact of adoption.



(A Faenarian Water Shaper at work during High Tide)

"If we all must die for Cethos to survive, Cethos does not deserve to live." ~ Loanast Faenar

History: In the early 1600s, the Cethosi nation was embroiled in a bloody, hopeless battle for survival. The Faenarian clan answered the initial call to bring every ship to bear and defend the mother isles. Loanast Faenarie, the clan's Autarch, held his ships in place during the climactic battle and watched as clan after clan was thrown into combat, men, women, and children being sent to bloody the waves in neverending battle. When the signal came for Loanast to send his ships into battle, he refused. If freedom meant the genocide of their people and culture, then it would be better to let it die.

The clan turned their sails and fled the waves, sailing into the wild oceans for months until they came upon the Sunrise Isles.

Many vessels had sunk from storm damage, others turned and left the exodus to return home, never to be seen again. Hundreds had died from exposure and starvation. The leadership of Faenarie was in question. When the clan sighted the Sunrise Isles there was extended debate over whether this was a suitable place to settle. The presence of human villages and sailors made the situation more perilous and more intriguing. If these islands could support these inhabitants, then the well being of the clan could be assured.

The human tribes and Faenarians met on the beaches of Loa Nota, the Heart Island, and began discussing the plight of the Sea Folk and their need for a new homeland. The Humans, expert hunters of sea monsters and powerful shamans, had the power to drive off the tribe if they so desired. Generosity prevailed, however, and the great Cacique of Loa Nota allowed the Faenarians to make landfall and establish themselves.

The Faenarians took to calling themselves "Merfolk" in the parlance of the land-dwellers, to better separate themselves from their Cethosi roots. For three hundred years they were able to settle, build, and thrive on the Sunrise Isles. After turning their backs on their home culture, the humans of Loa Nota provided a new one to guide their people forward.

Within a decade, the beached vessels of the Merfolk were repaired and reused to begin trading ventures. The Merfolk had discovered an abundance of Magic-infused ores beneath the sands of Loa Nota and began trading trinkets and luxury goods with the mainland.

During the Kratorian Civil War, the newly formed Glass Bank was contacted by the mainland's Marble Bank. While their Mad Queen was winning the Civil War, Faenaria's merchant houses were losing more and more of their profits from the chaos of war. Their chief market for silk and tobacco was too busy fighting for its life to buy any such luxuries. With the Empire descending into anarchy and the Empress on the verge of bankruptcy, a rebel faction of Primarchs pooled their material wealth to provide to Faenaria as collateral for war loans. The normally calculating and neutral Faenarians looked at what was offered (and their balance sheets- deeply in the red from the chaos of the war) and decided to support the rebel faction. The Mad Queen's opponents were suddenly flush with hard coin and their ranks filled with new recruits. The Queen was confronted with a stark reality- ideology may start wars, but the power to pay for food and weapons would win them.

When the Mad Queen seized the Faenarian customs houses along the coast in retribution (as both the Primarchs and the Faenarians expected she would) the Golden Fleet took to sail and blockaded her ports, landed troops, and occupied the coastal regions until the Primarchs and their Princess could reclaim their territory. The Mad Queen was deposed and the Princess succeeded her, beginning what would be a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

The Sidara, another oceangoing people, had been occasional trade partners with Faenaria until their relationship blossomed in the 18th Century. The Clan-Companies found they could achieve satisfactory financial support from the Glass Bank to continue operating in the Depression of 1790 and offset this downturn by selling modern technology to the Faenarians along with beef and uisge. Faenarian continues to sell tobacco and magical objects (Coral blades and Stormshields) to the Highlands. The two have no formal alliance, but the financial entanglements with the Clan Companies made the need for one a moot point.

In the past half century, Faenaria's culture of unprecedented wealth and splendor was completely upended with the return of the Cethosi to the world stage. Normally isolated and insular, the Merfolk gave their Cethosi cousins a wide berth out of a cultural taboo more than any fear. When they became international players again it was clear their ancestors had neither forgotten nor forgiven Loanast Faenar's decision to flee the battle for the Cethos Isles. Multiple Faenarian vessels were seized by "pirates" in international waters, their crews ransomed, tortured, or killed. When it became equally clear that the Cethos Isles had built an armada to outmatch even Faenaria's, the Autarchs had to make hard political decisions. Longstanding trade routes with the Sidarid Isles were disrupted when merchant compacts began taking longer, safer routes to their destinations. The mainland of Etresna, normally an acknowledged trade partner, are now treated with suspicion and hostility since they began courting the Cethosi...

A Not Yet Completed History of Faenaria

A Timeline of the Faenarian Peoples and Nation

~3000 BCE: The Rahuri human tribes are first mentioned in the histories of Kera-Bijan's ancient city state of Neo-Giranal. A clay tablet from an excavation contains a writing from King Ashurnazziban issuing a royal decree, noting the presence of a "Rahurana Prince" attending a religious festival.

1090 CE: The Clan of Faenar rises to prominence in the Cethosi isles when their original clan leader, Giran Fonola, perishes without heir or issue. The Faenar establish themselves as rulers on the isle of Ishanadar, building a powerful but aloof clan.

1510 CE: The Cethos of Faenar are called to the Wars of the Empyreum on behalf of the Cethosi Royal Family. Tirana Faenar, Clan Mother, receives the call and answers with her clanguard setting sail to war.

1511 CE: The Clanguard of Faenar are decimated in naval battles with the Imperial forces. Cethosi numbers and skill does not win out against Imperial discipline and coordination. The Cethosi Royal Family immediately demands a new flotilla be raised by the Faenar to replace their losses in battle. Tirana agrees to begin building new ships.

1512 CE: Tirana Faenar's eldest son, Yisan, is killed in battle with Imperial forces.

1517 CE: Tirana Faenar's second son, Hasal, is killed in battle with Imperial forces.

1519 CE: Tirana Faenar makes her displeasure known when an entire warband of Faenari are lost in battle while ambushing the Empire's second fleet. The battle should have been easily won, but conflicting orders, quests for recognition by the Cethosi King, and poor logistics ensure the warband is nothing but shark food by the end of the engagement. Tirana is summoned before the Cethosi King and answers for her complaints. She is locked in his dungeons on charges of disloyalty to the Cethosi people and crown. Like-minded nobility is cowed and continues to support the war. Her youngest son, Loanost Faenar, is empowered over the clan, though a regent loyal to the crown reigns during his young life.

1520-1522 CE: Tirana Faenar perishes in the dungeons of the Cethosi Crown. Historians debate the year of her passing to this day, though her remains indicate a death from blunt force trauma to the skull and ribcage.

1535 CE: Loanost Faenar succeeds the regent to rule Ishanadar. The war with the Empire begins to intensify beyond skirmishes and pirate actions. Faenar petitions the crown for a pardon from the Conscription to war, arguing that Ishanadar has the wealth and resources to build a great armada, capable of defending the isles from invasion. The King of Cethos accepts this proposal.

1543 CE: The Great Armada is completed. One-third the size of the entire Cethosi fleet- from the greatest warship to the lowliest fishing vessel. Loanost Faenar presents the fleet to King Cethos as a token of his loyalty. King Cethos accepts the fleet and orders Loanost Faenar to crew the vessels himself.

Loanost is taken aback by this request. To crew the fleet will require every man, woman, and child aboard Ishanadar to answer a call to the waves. Ishandar would be left empty and they may still not have enough hands to set sail. Moreover, it gives credence to rumors that King Cethos will soon attempt to invade the Empire.

1544 CE: King Cethos commissions a great invasion of the Imperial City of Ilium. Forces from every island answer the call to battle. A war that began as little more than a coordinated campaign of piracy begins to resemble a true barbarian invasion. The Faenarians use their great fleet to move many soldiers to the mainland and support the attack on the city.

1546 CE: Ilium withstands the siege under the leadership of Princess Dissaria and the Cethosi are forced back to the isles. The noble families are left weakened. King Cethos conducts a purge of the nobility to ensure he will not face rebellion for the disaster. Loanost Faenar is recalled to the Home Isles to face the same purge. He refuses the call, citing the impending birth of his child. King Cethos is openly defied by his most powerful vassal and he does not have the soldiers to bring him to heel, fueling harsher crackdowns on those families that did answer the call.

1548 CE: Emperor Hektor of Kratoris prepares a punitive invasion of the Cethos Isles. Those legions not actively engaged on the Empire's frontier are summoned to Ilium. Princess Dissaria is given command as a test of her ability. King Cethos calls the banners of the nobility to resist impending invasion and slavery. The noble houses are decimated from decades of intermittent warfare and the purges after the attack on Ilium but answer the call, conscripting their remaining peasants.

King Cethos orders Loanost Faenar to put the Great Armada to sail in defense of the isles. Loanost Faenar recognizes that he commands the largest assembly of warships in the isles by far, and that the entire nation is being mobilized to fight. His clan will be thrown into battle first, but the ships will not be crewed by soldiers but by his peasants. If he fights, his people will die. If he refuses the call, the Cethos will be conquered. He answers the call, but continues to slowly mobilize.

June, 1548 CE: King Cethos leads the Cethosi armada into battle with the Imperial Expeditionary force. Every seaworthy vessel takes to the waves in defense of the homeland. Imperial Marines land on the island of Gonala to establish a base of operations and supply depot. A palisade is erected and command center built. Cethosi conscripts will battle legionaries on the shores here until the battle's end.

King Cethos continues battling the Imperial ships daily. Loanost Faenar arrives to battle with his entire people in arms, anchoring behind the King's flotilla. King Cethos demands Faenar lead the armada in a great charge toward the heart of the Imperial navy. Faenar responds he will lead his people to battle at his own pace, challenging King Cethos to attack with his remaining professional soldiers. King Cethos promises to raze the isle of Ishanadar, leaving none of his subjects or family alive on its shores if Faenar does not immediately enter the battle to save Cethos. Faenar's reply is disputed, but apocyrpha holds his reply to the King's messenger to be "The King's threat has already been carried out. There are no Cethos left alive on Ishanadar. They are all here with me." Faenar gives the order to take sail and leave. The clan of Faenar never again returns to the Cethosi isles.

July, 1548 CE: The Battle of the Isles is ultimately inconclusive. Cethos maintains its independence when the Imperial fleet abandons the campaign due to lack of sufficient fresh water supplies. The number of dead Cethosi is incalculable- modern scholars debate whether it may be classified as a genocide. The Cethos do not attempt to attack the Empire for generations. Princess Dissaria is hailed as a hero for her defense of the Gonala palisade and she cites the weakness of the Imperial Navy for preventing the ultimate victory. While she is lauded publicly, Imperial histories claim she begins to suspect there is a whisper campaign to smear her reputation in secret. From this point onward, she begins to demonstrate questionable mental stability in private.

1549 CE: The Faenarian flotilla island-hops for months, searching for a land capable of supporting the many thousands of Cethosi aboard the ships. Hundreds are lost to storm, disease, battle with pirates, and deprivation. A portion of the flotilla disputes the leadership of Faenar and breaks off from the fleet under Tirala Yinan, striking out to the east.

1550 CE: Loanost Faenar encounters the Rahuri in their Outer Isles while his peoples' ships begin to founder and wreck within the Great Mithril Reef. Rahuri ships guide the fleet safely though the reef and to landfall in the Outer Isles. The Isles cannot support the many thousands of Faenarians on the waves, but an effort is made to repair the ships, nurse the worst of the Faenarians back to health, and spirit them onward to the Great Island, Loa Nota, where they can find some succor.

A Council of Caciques is called by the Rahuri to discuss the appearance of these visitors while the exiles are permitted to disembark and tend to their sick and wounded. Loanost Faenar orders his people to remain within their vessels while the council deliberates the fate of the Rahuri. The Council of Caciques debates for days, listens to the story of the Faenarians, and considers their own position on the waves and how such a great fleet may challenge them. Faenar, his children, and his captains are summoned and interrogated by the council regarding their ultimate intentions and what would be expected of the Faenarians in order to find succor and homes in the isles.

An accord is struck, called The Great Compact. This Compact will become the basis of the Faenarian Constitution, and its opening declarations are as follows:

- The Faenarians must swear never to raise arms against the Rahuri.

- The Faenarians must swear never to abuse the hospitality of the Rahuri.

- The Faenarians must pledge to be accepted into a household of the Rahuri, binding them to the people of the isles as family.

- The Faenarians must pledge to share their catches, spoils, and discoveries with the Rahuri.

- The Faenarians must hold no kings or claim of rulership over the Rahuri people. The Scions of Faenar may hold a place of privilege as the living embodiment of this pact and command their own ships and people in battle.

- This list of pledges may be added to by the Council of Caciques as they please, so long as a Council is called to the Home Island where its additions may be added to by the Council in full view of the Rahuri.

- The Faenarians shall hold a place of brotherhood within the tribes, and shall be accepted as equals among them.

- The Faenarians shall be entitled to hold all property they brought with them on their exodus as their own.

Loanost Faenar consents to this arrangement. His family is given the title of Autocrat by the Caciques, a living embodiment of this pact among the tribes and his people. He formally titles his people "Merfolk" after creatures of Rahuri mythology to cut ties completely with the Cethosi isles and as a sign of his willingness to integrate with their new hosts. The fleet disperses to the rest of the isles, though the majority of the Merfolk remain on Loa Nota and begin to construct The Coral City. The first Merfolk artisans discover the orichalcum deposits within the volcanoes of Loa Nota and begin experimenting with its use, creating what is now known as "Water Glass." Sheets of crystal forged in the pressures beneath the waves, the glass holds the appearance of shifting waves. Baubles- from liquor decanters to mirrors- are forged using this technique and begin to be sold elsewhere.

1551 CE: The Breakaway Fleet limps to the shores of Luminaria. Tirala Yinan and her followers are accepted among the Luminarians and establish Yinan Province, integrating with the nation over the next ten years.

1558 CE: The Rahuri Isles are stricken with famine, with many believing the Merfolk are to blame for the scarcity. Loanost Faenar approaches the Caciques with a proposal: His people will crew their vessels again and launch a trade mission to the Shah of Kera-Bijan to bring back food and crops. The Caciques consent to this and the fleet is launched to the mainland.

The Merfolk come to the court of the Shah with Rahuri tobacco and Merfolk Water Glass to trade for grain, fruits, and meat. The trade is established and the people of the isles return to a time of plenty and building.

1560 CE: The Shah and his wealthiest Satraps increase their demand for Water Glass, and begin to trade gold and luxury goods for it rather than just food. The Merfolk are invited to establish a settlement in the north of Kera-Bijan, Locha Noa. The colony helps to ease the burden of feeding the Rahuri in the home isles while enriching the Merfolk. The wealth is brought back to the home isles.

1565: The Linana Clan of the Rahuri announces that they are dissatisfied with the changes brought by the Merfolk and the rapid growth of the Coral City. The Rahuri Civil War begins. Loanost Faenar decrees that no Merfolk should fight in the war, holding to the decree of the Caciques not to bear arms against the Rahuri- if the Rahuri decide to expel their people, it will be honored. He secretly orders his lieutenants to fortify Locha Noa as a new homeland. Merfolk quietly evacuate the isles and settle in the new city in greater numbers.

1568 CE: The Steppe Tribes of Kera-Bijan attack Locha Noa, hoping to pillage its wealth. In cooperation with the levies of the Shah, the attack is repelled. The Merfolk replace the crude palisades with shaped coral walls in a great undertaking. The work will not be complete until 1574. The Glass Bank is founded in Locha Noa to handle and take account of the material wealth of the Merfolk in this time of upheaval. The bank is so named because the bank charter is signed within a Water Glass workshop, and the wealth of the people stored in its Warehouses.

1569 CE: The Rahuri Civil War ends in defeat for the Liana clan. They are welcomed back into the family of the Caciques as wayward brothers rather than rebelling tribes, and the Merfolk are invited back to live in the Coral City in safety.

1573 CE: The Rahuri and Merfolk launch joint trading expeditions to establish relations with the old world. One fleet heads far to the East, another West to make contact with the Kratorian Empire. Their holds are filled with Water Glass, tobacco, pepper, silks, and sugar, along with soldiers and marines to defend the ships.

1574 CE: The Westerly Fleet makes contact with the Kratorian Empyreum. The vessels surrender their cargo in a sign of goodwill, and a diplomatic conference is held with the Admiral of the fleet, Ritana Faenar, daughter of Loanast. Guarantees are made toward good intent and customs houses are established in the coastal cities of the Empire. Sugar, Tobacco, Water Glass, and Silk flows freely into Imperial ports. Rum soon follows (much to the dismay of captains of all stripes in the Empire).

1578 CE: The Easterly Fleet makes contact with the Merfolk of Yinan Province in Luminaria. The Admiral is overjoyed to find their wayward brothers and sisters, but troubled by their peaceful, almost fanatical subservience to the Luminarian way. Suspicion of a magical compulsion breaks out amongst the crews. Persuasion fails to bring the merfolk home to the Isles. Armed attacks and kidnappings take place, but the Merfolk of Yinan resist. The Easterly fleet splits in two- one half returning to the Isles to report what has been discovered, one half remaining off the coast of Luminaria, operating as pirates to try and "liberate" their kinsman.

1589 CE: Loanost Faenar perishes on a shark hunt. He is entombed within the great vaults of the volcano beneath Loa Nota, along with other Rahuri Caciques. Ritana Faenar succeeds her father as Autarch of the Isles.

The Easterly Fleet is subjugated by the Luminarian Navy. Its Admiral taken prisoner and their ships beached. Diplomatic envoys leave for Faenaria seeking reparation for his acts of piracy and kidnapping, but also peace.

1590 CE: The Bank of Glass moves its headquarters and Wealth to the Coral City. Representatives of the Imperial Marble Bank begin making the voyage to the home isles to assess the true wealth and capability of the institution. The two begin sharing theories on practices of wealth management and record keeping, leading to an informal friendly (if competitive) relationship between the two. The Marble Bank introduces wealthy imperials to the Glass Bank, contacts that the Faenarians would otherwise never interact with. The Glass Bank opens an official vault for the Emperor and Empress. Sentimental items are stored here, but the security of the vaults compared to those tainted by the bitter politics and corruption in the Empire leads to greater cooperation.

The Luminarian delegation arrives. The Caciques and Ritana Faenar accept their requests for peace and pledge to discipline those who remained in the trade fleet, claiming no knowledge of the extent of their actions. Historians dispute this, citing the return of half of the fleet years earlier. Some argue that Ritana was unaware of the extent of the piracy and attacks, other that she hoped to extend Faenarian control to the isles off the coast of Luminaria.

Ritana consents to allow the Merfolk in the fleet to be subjected to Luminarian justice, though the Rahuri ask that their people be returned to the isles. The Luminarians consent to this request.

1600 CE: Princess Dissaria becomes Empress of Kratoria. She begins her reign by announcing grand expansions to Imperial art, architecture, and armies- paid for by taxes on the Senate and Primarch households.

1604 CE: Members of the Imperial Senate open accounts in the Glass Bank to secretly stow wealth for their families out of reach of the Mad Queen's tax increases. Back channel communications are established between the Marble Bank, the Faenarian Customs Houses, and the Glass Bank to facilitate the transfer of wealth outside the view of the Mad Queen.

1611 CE: Princess Athena of Kratoria is born.

1632 CE: 1632 CE: The Bank of Glass begins to finance regular trade fleets. Enormous treasure armadas begin to set sail monthly, banding together to share supplies and fight off pirates and sea monsters. Many of these treasure ships head to tried and tested ports, like those of Kratoria, but others exhibit an adventuring spirit and head into the great unknown.

In late summer, one such treasure fleet makes first contact with Sidarid fishermen. The clansfolk are stunned by the creatures of myth aboard the ships. Despite the language barrier, the fishermen manage to lead the fleet towards Glenmagar, from where the young Bhaenrhig Parhaigen ruled Sidara. The language barriers were soon traversed, for an Arwyndyn who knew the Cethosi tongue was quickly found. The young Bhaenrhig and many Sidarids were stunned by the craftsmanship and luxury items that the Faenarians brought. This would mark the beginning of the first phase in Faenaro-Sidarid trade. The Faenarians enjoy a near-monopoly on imports and exports (limited in nature as those naturally were at the time) for some time. Despite Anvegadian attempts to disrupt this trade and newly-forged relationship, trade and commerce between Sidara and Faenaria would continue uninterrupted until the Faenarian Banking Crisis in the Isles decades later.

The initial encounter, short-lived though it was, would have a lasting impact on Sidarid approaches to business and trade, and would contribute to the the Sidarid Enlightenment of the eighteenth century and the eventual creation of Clan-Companies.

1641 CE: Princess Athena rises to a formal position within the Imperial Court. She accompanies a goodwill delegation to the Isles of Faenaria, renewing vows of friendship between the two nations. Ritana Faenar and the Caciques receive her on the Home Isles. Formal discussions about trade policy and taxation are secondary to the relationship established between the two. Ritana and Athena begin a long written correspondence, some of which survive to this day- many have been transcribed, most notably those by the Imperial historian Horus under the title "On the power of Queens and the State." Topics range from monetary and military policy to cuisine critiques and political maneuvering.

1651 CE: The Kratorian Civil War begins in the outer provinces. Primarchs and Senators rally around Princess Athena as a figurehead to resist the actions of the Mad Queen. Alliances, territory and allegiances change regularly. Only the increasing brutalities of the Mad Queen keep the war raging.

1662 CE: Wealth from trade to Kratoria dries up as the civil war drags on. The Bank of Glass releases more and more wealth from the vaults in an attempt to alleviate the economic downturn. This triggers runaway inflation in the isles that affects Kera-Bijan. Faenarian gold and silver from this recession has been traced to Etresna, the Sidarid Isles, Luminaria, and even as far away as Uruk.

1663 CE: The Caciques call a council to deal with the continued economic fallout of the opening of the Vaults. Citing the original pledge of "Sharing Spoils" established by the original council of Caciques and Faenar, they demand an input on monetary policy and ownership of the Bank of Glass- it becomes plain for all to see that the Caciques will attempt to seize the bank outright. Ritana Faenar rallies her own supporters and prepares a counter offer. The Isles have been held together for a century under an informal policy of "two races, one family." She proposes the creation of a nation state akin to Kratoria, Kera-Bijan, and Luminaria.

The wealth of the Bank of Glass will be managed directly by this new Nation rather than any one race or people. The merfolk will continue to build and crew warships in defense of the waves and their trade, while the Rahuri will raise armies to defend the islands and administer justice themselves. The Merchant Compacts of the trade fleets petition for a second, private institution to manage risk to their own personal ventures- establishing the original Coral Exchange in a beachside rum tavern. Ritana asks that the new nation be formally titled Faenaria, as a pledge from the Caciques toward their own good faith. The Caciques consent to these arrangements.

The Caciques assemble in the great hall of the Palace of Faenar to hold debates, counsel one another, and give consent to actions by the Autarch on the waves. The Rahuri 'Vanata, Banker from Coral City' is elected the first Cacique of the Vault to manage the wealth of the Glass Bank and set monetary policy. Vanata counsels that taxes should be raised to remove coins from circulation and employ citizenry with a program to build a new fleet for the nation's navy, replacing the original Coral Shaped vessels the Merfolk took to sea on.

1670 CE: Monetary records mark a downturn of inflation; scholars mark this as the end of the Faenarian Banking Crisis in the Isles.

1691 CE: The Kratorian Civil War grinds to a halt with the threat of Etresnan intervention. Kratoria lies in ruin, the Mad Queen still commands the heart of the Empire while Athena's core army remains intact. Neither side can feed or pay its soldiers in adequate numbers. A delegation of Senators and Primarchs smuggle the remaining wealth of their households out of the Empire aboard a Faenarian trade fleet and makes their way to the isles. They offer up the wealth of ancient Imperial Households as collateral. They request formal loans from the Glass Bank to finance the war effort and purchase arms, supplies, and mercenary companies.

The Caciques call a council as there are fears that the money requested could trigger another Banking Crisis, much less war and invasion of the isles. The debate is settled by rules of the Glass Bank's charter. The Primarchs agree to accept a reduced loan from the bank "for personal use" while the remainder of their funding is secured through the Coral Exchange. The loans appear as nothing more than a refinancing of properties and investments in Kratorian Villas. The Primarchs return home with a treasure fleet to carry their funds to Princess Athena, along with an aged banker Vanata, First Cacique of the Treasury, long since retired from her position at the head of the Glass Bank. Vanata assists in the disbursal of funds alongside members of the Marble Bank to prevent rampant inflation.

Mercenary companies and merchant caravans begin to converge on the Rebel encampments, hearing that there is coin to be had. By the turn of the year, the IVth Legion finds itself being paid in barter goods. They will desert their post and declare allegiance to the Princess.

1692 CE: The Mad Queen continues to lose soldiers as the rebel provinces enjoy a return to prosperity. Ilium falls to the rebellion after a popular uprising.

During the summer campaign, rumors circulate in Loyalist cities that Faenarian Customs houses are actually great repositories of gold and silver, hidden from public view. There is debate among historians whether the Mad Queen actually believes these rumors or used them as a pretext to punish the Faenarian Glass Bank for aiding the Rebellion. Loyalist troops seize the Faenarian customs houses and confiscate their goods and coin. Merfolk and Rahuri are killed in anti-Faenarian pogroms while the Summer Trade Fleet is attacked by the Imperial Navy- nine of the twenty-seven ships are sunk, five are captured, and thirteen are forced to retreat, eventually finding their way to the Sidarid Isles for aid and reconstruction.

The Anvegadian Military-Governor Whiteforge, known as the Cannon-Forged Governor, was by this time old and ailing, not entirely in control of Sidara. The more politically intuitive and fiercely intelligent young Rhig Aenfys had managed to run rings around the old man, while deluding him into thinking of Aenfys as a pliable and loyal puppet. The Faenarian fleet is welcomed at Baena's Bay and every help and luxury that could be afforded them is provided. This proved an excellent opportunity for Sidara to re-establish relations with an old friend and secretly study Faenarian ship designs to improve upon the fleet they were building right under Anvegad's nose. Once the Faenarian vessels were repaired and their sick and injured had been cared for (those that were not beyond saving, of course), they are sent home laden with gifts and messages of friendship and goodwill. Due to the events that followed, the newly rekindled relationship could not, unfortunately, be maintained.

By Autumn, the Summer Fleet returns to Loa Nota. The Caciques call a council of war. All signs point to an eventual victory for Princess Athena, though there is a debate about how long that victory will take to win. An aged Ritana, nearly one-hundred years old, asks for permission to sail the Golden Fleet in defense of the Merfolk and Rahuri. The Caciques vote 17 to 8 for war. A messenger departs for rebel territory, carrying a message of intent:

- Faenaria will soon enact a blockade of the Mad Queen's coastline. Any ship flying her banner will be boarded and their cargo taken as a prize.
- The Faenarian fleet will engage the Mad Queen's ships where practical and attempt to sink the Imperial Fleet.
- The Faenarians will attempt an invasion of two coastal cities, opening up a new front.
- Any territory, prisoners, or ships seized by the Faenarians will be administered under Rahuri Law, but will be returned to Princess Athena or one of her loyal Primarchs.

The Golden Fleet embarks on a punitive expedition at the start of winter, lead by the Rahuri Gidall, Warleader of Loa Cana. Gidall engages the merchant compacts to arm their own ships and harass Loyalist vessels. This marks the first sailing of the Privateer Fleet.

1693 CE: The Golden Fleet arrives off the coast of Kratoria and begins its campaign in support of Princess Athena.

1699 CE: The Mad Queen is deposed by Princess Athena. Popular legend in Faenaria has it the Queen died after drinking a draught of mercury and orichalcum in an effort to attain otherworldly power. The Faenarian occupation of the Imperial coast ends.

---

1865 CE: Etresna and Kratoria enter a conflict with global ramifications. Kratorian Senators approach Faenaria with requests to join the war on the waves. Yarana Faenar, knowing that he does not have the support of the Caciques to enter the conflict, offers mercantile contacts to help fund the Kratorian Empyreum.

1867 CE: Etresna engages in a program of land seizures, infrastructural development, and population transfer on the Nine Isles it conquered from Sidara. These 'undeveloped' lands that Etresna seizes are in fact clan lands. The Etremaden do not understand this, and the subsequent outrage from the local population as well as the Sidarid government is not given much notice. Sidara begins aligning itself with Kratoria, contacting Faenaria for support in its efforts to build-up for a liberation war, and attempts to woo Uruk's favour by investing in its arms and heavy industry.

1868 CE: Yarana Faenar again approaches the Caciques behind closed doors to woo them for the votes to war. The Coral Exchange, normally his chief political sword and shield, has been much diminished by the war on the waves. The Glass Bank and trade with Kera-Bijan is singlehandedly buoying the Faenarian economy. The peril of Sidarid being conquered and the Clan Companies being wiped out with their debts unpaid causes no end of stress among the bureaucrats and politicians.

The Caciques vote 14-11 to abstain from war. However, a clandestine money-funneling program begins unloading Guilders into the Sidarid Isles, helping them to finance the creation of a modernized military. At the same time, the Coral Exchange merchants begin cashing in their Etresnan government bonds and private stocks in a mass selloff. Loans are called in. Credit is constrained on the mainland. The initial effect of this on Etresna is negligible. Etresnan hard currency makes up for this loss.

1873 CE: Sidara's navy and armies are fully prepared to join Kratoria in its war against Etresna, and Sidarid technological support and economic investment means the Uruk military has developed rifled weaponry and more modern war tactics.

The Faenarian Caciques are carried to war in a 13-12 vote in the Assembly. The Golden Armada sails to the coast and begins a policy of containment of the Etresnan fleet. Etresnan industry begins experiencing a Credit Crunch as more and more businesses cannot obtain secure loans from the Glass Bank or the Coral Exchange. Etresna experiences stagflation. Despite the fact that their military is fighting off no less than four superpower-class nations (and winning on several fronts), popular support for the war begins to erode.

1876 CE: The Kera-Bijan trade route experiences a downturn in demand. The Faenarian Coral Exchange experiences a collapse. At the same time, Etresna goes from a Recession economy to a Depression. Preliminary peace talks begin behind the scenes as the financial contagion spreads beyond Faenaria and Etresna.

1877 CE: The Etresnan political class sues for peace with the Fourth Coalition. The Etresnan military is deployed to quell bread riots in several cities, while in others they are greeted as heroes with great parades and celebrations.

The Sidarid Isles are reunited and whole once again.

Territorial Claims: Faenaria Holds dominion over the oceans to the east. They have forsaken the Cethosi islands, believing them to be backward and bloodthirsty, but the Merchant Class is lobbying for dominion over the isles west of Segon and Arcanain to expand their financial empire.

Economy: The Faenarian Economy was once driven by the Privateer Fleet. Its ships move cargo between nations for a modest markup, protected by the Golden Fleet. The Privateers no longer rule the seas unchallenged, but their influence is still felt in the Coral Market. When the convoys of Merchants began returning from long voyages unchallenged during the Age of Piracy, their wealth was jealously guarded by Faenarians and re-invested. Banks and vaults in Faenaria hold accounts for major corporations, rulers, politicians and oligarchs from across the world. The Faenarian Guilder is one of the primary trade currencies against which other forms of cash are measured against- most Government Ministers of the Economy have direct lines to a Faenarian Banking house.

The two primary entities of the Faenarian Finance industry are the Glass Bank and the Coral Exchange. The Coral Exchange is a stock and bond market that is managed by private corporations, though interest rates and trade taxes are managed by Faenaria.

The Glass Bank is a government run institution. It provides loans to nations and corporations alike (the latter is overseen by the Minister of Finance, the former by bureaucrats), and hold enormous wealth in underground vaults. Bouillon from nations, kings, emperors and private individuals are stored on the remote island under intense scrutiny. While it is not readily available, nations and leaders sleep soundly knowing part of their nation's gold supply is secure deep within the Sunrise Sea.

Finally, the Sunset Isles provide a route for luxury goods that back up the Faenarian Guilder. Silks, tobacco, sugar and precious stones are shipped out from their colony regularly.

Technology: Faenarian technology relies heavily on their magical innovations. Rather than producing explosive gunpowders, their Water Shapers fire pressurized blasts of water from their Water Cannons, striking with the force of wrecking balls against concrete when they strike their targets. When they must rely on technology, they import it from trade partners.

Army: The Faenarian Army is entirely staffed by Human Auxiliaries. Going back to the beginning of the nation, the Human tribes were recognized as being better able to attack and defend deeper inland than their Merfolk comrades. Today the regular army is a modest size. The few Faenarian cities maintain garrisons to help maintain order with gendarmes, while smaller islands host outposts to defend against pirate attacks. All tolled, these garrisons host 60,000 individuals in Five Divisions. Each has limited towed modern artillery, medical support, and engineer battalions. Faenarian Army divisions tend to appear much more colorful than threatening,

Navy: The Golden Fleet and the Privateer Fleet are a mixed force of modern and turn-of-the-century vessels. One-hundred make up the Golden Fleet, combat worthy vessels always flying a military flag.
- 11 Battleships
- 18 Cruisers
- 53 Destroyers
- 18 Supply and Logistical Vessels
The Privateer Fleet is a force of roughly 300 private merchant ships. Registering as a Merchant Vessel under the Republic carries the caveat that at any point, in the event of a national emergency, they must return to the capital for armament by and for the Faenarian Navy. These vessels then take to the waves as Destroyers and Logistical Vessels with Letters of Marque issued.

Air Force: *laughter* No.

Rolls:

Territory: 8 (+4) Faenaria is decently sized island nation, with room for cities and lots of farmland to support its population and mercantile imperialism. Much of this comes from recently acquired colonies in the Sea of Segon and the Sunlands far to the east. While the islands are few and far between, Faenaria claims the seas around them as dominion.

Tech: 8 (-2) Faenaria is still antiquated in its methods of production and machinery, but modernization is about to begin or in its beginning stages. Due to the needs of the Merfolk for clean waters, the nation has opted to lean into magical innovation rather than industrialization. Most modern technology is imported from the Empire or the Sidarid.

Army Size: 5 (+4) The citizens of Faenaria are unofficially divided into two castes- the Cethos outcasts and the human tribes. The humans of Faenaria, being the only peoples suitable for extended land-based combat, make up the core of its armies. Most are adequately trained in modern combat tactics but their small division sizes mean they cannot hope to invade a land-based nation without the concerted efforts of the Navy to support them or the help of an allied power.

Economy: 20 The wealth of Faenaria has been steadily built since the exile from Cethos in the 1650s. Exile from Cethos saw them turn from their culture's more insular ways to more worldly concerns, and they took to integration with the modern world like... well, fish to water. While they began as a trade empire, the rapid buildup of wealth quickly required the development of a competent banking system to prevent inflation and financial ruin. Faenarian ports are cosmopolitan centers of commerce, and their Coral Exchange is synonymous with banking and investment in the east; many newspapers run summaries of the day's trading to keep the wealthy appraised of their investments. Additionally, the Glass Bank, founded in 1682, is a contender for the oldest bank in the world. An official government lending institution, the bank's vaults extend deep under the island of Loa Nota, in waterlogged chambers and dry ones as well. Nations and royals alike can store their wealth within and feel safe knowing that their enemies cannot touch their previous gold, silver, or mithril bouillon. Not the smallest source of this wealth has been their Colony of Locha Noa in the Sunlands. Exclusive trade rights with this province of the continent continent has produced vast amounts of coinage as they sell silk, nutmeg, peppers, rice, and half a hundred other exotic substances on the international markets.

Population: 12 Faenaria boasts between 60-61,000,000 living souls. The most recent census, four years prior to present day, had a population documented of 60,157,891 citizens. Of those, 28,402,081 were sea dwellers, while 31,755,810 were human. There is a small but prosperous enclave of Fae creatures from the Kratorian Empyrium that call the islands home.

Production: 6 (+1) Faenaria is still a largely untouched island empire. Many cities are devoted to Agrarian pursuits with its industry (and major shipbuilding operations) all headquartered in the city of Locha Ele. This has suited them well for three centuries, but now it has become clear that they are falling behind most other industrialized nations in the area of production. They move raw materials and luxury items across the waves. Factories have a tendency to pollute, something which they cannot abide when they have so little acreage to call their own.

Navy Size: (18) The Faenarian navy is perhaps the largest merchant fleet afloat- if it is not now, it most certainly once was less than a century ago. Were the Autocrat to order all ships to return to the home port, it could trigger a recession in most small nations dependent on some form of international trade. Their army, with its small divisions and recent equipment acquisitions from Etresna's mainland, still cannot hold a candle compared to the ships of the Golden Fleet. Every Lightning and Water cannon, every Magus Boiler, every armor plate, is built to defend the islands from invasion and project power abroad. Faenarian Marines, armed with Magic-forged coral blades and small arms, are capable of limited land based operations when called upon to supplement the army.

While the Golden Fleet is comprised of cruisers, battleships, and a handful of dreadnoughts, it is supplemented by the Privateer Fleet. Building regulations for Faenarian merchant ships, especially those which want to carry cargo of sufficient value, must be built with the speed and armor of a modern Destroyer to have their voyages insured by the Glass Bank. The Autarch of Faenaria holds the right to nationalize these merchant ships, ordering all vessels currently trading with a belligerent power to return to port for armament in service to the nation. All agreed upon trade contracts with the belligerent nations are forfeited, their cargoes seized, their wealth in the Coral Exchange and Glass Bank frozen. Cargo being moved to these nations by third parties can expect to be attacked by the Privateer Fleet, as their goods can be seized by enterprising captains as booty, protected by the might of the state. This is an economic weapon that holds disastrous foreign policy implications, but also acts as a deterrent in place of a fearsome army.

Airforce Size: (2) "You fly like a Faenarian." A common insult from one pilot to another. There are literally a handful of planes in Faenaria, all trinkets of the idle rich. None of them is owned by the military.

Magic: (16) While Faenaria is lacking in modern technical power, it still competes with most superpower nations in the realm of Magical development. Their time integrating with the human tribes, coupled with impressive deposits of magical ore and ley energy, means they have developed tools and production facilities that lend their cities and ships an air of opulence and arrogance. A Faenarian frigate is shaped through these naturally occurring magical forces- not built. From the outside, it resembles a gaudy trading vessel with the texture of a seashell- sharpened coral railings to help repel boarders, cannons that can fire pressurized spheres of water striking with the force of wrecking balls rather than explosive shells, and a hull that cuts through waves and shoals with ease. Cities are likewise built with an attention to the use of magics- streetlight is provided by powered crystals rather than gas lamps, steel is forged with magical applications rather than chemical, and waste burned with smokeless fires.

Mobilization: (7; -2) Mobilization efforts in Faenaria have fallen behind their prior abilities during the age of sails. The army has fallen to the wayside in favor of naval modernization, and even then, the navy is at its peak when supplemented by the Privateer Fleet. Most cities have active garrisons of professional soldiers on alert to assist in search and rescue operations after storms strike, but to call the people to arms is a lengthy and expensive affair.

Traits:

(Mixed Perk) Power of the Purse: There is something crude and childlike about Faenarian diplomacy. Where other nations may seek cooperation with others through appealing to pure idealism or hard realpolitik, Faenarians are known to simply bust open a checkbook and begin bidding. The fact that their vaults are deep and filled with the wealth of the waves mean they have more luck influencing unaligned nations to see their way. But other major powers look down on them as little better than rich fools who can be bought by hard coin- unable or unwilling to believe in hard ideals. What good is an Alliance in ink when it may be overruled by another nation writing a large check?

(Positive Perk) Super Maria Ingrata: Many rulers and governments think twice about aggressive actions against Faenaria. Not out of fear of invasion, but out of fear of economic danger. Their merchant vessels will be sunk or taken as prizes by the Privateer Fleet, and their wealth in the Coral Markets seized. The safety of their seagoing vessels will not be guaranteed.

(Mixed Perk) They Came From the Sea: Faenarian Marines specialize in amphibious landings. When deployed with the support of the Golden Fleet's water cannons, they can subdue and occupy many coastal regions in a matter of weeks. Pushing inland is another problem entirely, and Faenarian marines cannot occupy more than a few miles inland without access to constant sources of fresh or salt water like rivers or lakes. Otherwise, they will hold their ground until counterattacked and driven off by their enemies.

Foreign Relations: Faenaria currently maintains exclusive trading rights with a single province of Kera-Bijan. The Shah allowed the Faenarians to establish a single port city on the northern coast of their domain, Locha Noa. Locha Noa is the most jealously guarded colonial possession of the Faenarians and perhaps the most fortified. The Golden Fleet's Second Flotilla is based here, protecting merchant ships from pirates and enemy warships.

Faenaria's first diplomatic interactions came when they aided the Kratorian Empire's overthrow of the Mad Queen. Since then, the two have enjoyed a lucrative and mutually beneficial relationship. The Empire supplies raw materials that Faenaria would normally not be able to secure like iron, lumber, and other resources. In exchange, Faenaria exports luxury goods like sugar and tobacco, while also financing Imperial industries at home. The mass production of their Air Corps was thanks to financing provided by the Glass Bank, and the Imperial Air Corps will soon be stationed on bases throughout the coral sea to help "stop the spread of piracy."

Sidara and Faenaria have an extensive trading history. Faenarian Magic is swapped for Sidaran Technology daily, and the Bank of Glass has financed the Sidaran Clan-companies' operations. Sidarans build wonderful technology while Faenarians cut checks to allow the clan companies to operate without significant fear of disruption. The two have never been formally hostile or allied, but the return of the Cethos to the world stage in recent decades has disrupted longstanding trade routes and caused no end of heartburn for their nations' accountants. They don't need a defensive alliance to expect Faenarian support. If you owe the bank a lot of money, the bank has a vested interest in keeping you alive...

During the Anvegad Civil War, the Valorgardes arranged for the nation's gold reserves to be moved from the mainland to the vaults of the Glass Bank. This kept the national currency afloat even through the war and a portion of the gold remains in the Glass Bank to this day. While Etresna invests in Anvegad's reconstruction, the Faenarians saw an opportunity to invest in their Alchemical industries, helping to rebuild their private sector as a bulwark against Collectivist thought and influence.