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[OOC] The Fading Light of V'landriel [Ended, Reboot in Progress]
- Large Group
- Historical
- Fantasy
- 18+
- Nation
- Advanced
- Steampunk
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Still a work in progress, but the sheet so far, more will be added later.
Type of Government: Confederation
Head(s) of Government: The Council of Dathanar, currently headed by High Councilor Valter Ohlson
Economy: (Main imports, exports, industries, technology level, etc.)
Demographics:
Population: 25 Million
Dathan – Descendants of the Avalian human refugees, although nearly two centuries of separation had changed the Avalian population over time, recognizing themselves as the Dathan. Although they've incorporated Old World, namely Avalian, culture of the time period, the Dathan have developed their own identity, creating new traditions and reforming the old into some new and of their own design.
Tzücomen – Humans native to much of the southern half of the New World, where they've been roaming as herdsmen and nomads since time immemorial. They are distinguished from other humans by their swarthy complexion and artificially deformed cone-shaped skulls, achieved through ritual head binding. Militarily they are competent light cavalry and skirmishers, that have allied and sporadically warred with the Dathanari. Today, they work alongside them as auxiliaries to fight their common enemies.
Gardonian –
Population:
Male
Female
Harpy –
Male
Female
Grogar –
Jakai – Insectoids native to Ukan Badlands, the Jakai are the distant cousins of the Tervigen, sharing biological and cultural traits, with their own set of differences of course. For instance, the build of a jakai is considered much more weak and frail compared to the toughened hide of a Tervigen. From a distance, it would be difficult to tell between a male and female Jakai, but upon closer inspection, males posses wings. Culturally, the Jakai generally take a more conservative approach in their ventures, while males are indeed outgoing, and adventurous, most of the time it is to an limited extent, for many, not wanting to venture too far from their home Warren.
However, there indeed exists many more males, and even females that have ventured beyond their Warren, beyond Dathanar. The more adventurous ones that stay within Dathanar are among the few to enlist in the Combined Defense Forces, particularity the Sky Corps.
Yeshai –
Amrean –
Gnülonlar –
Culture:
Due to the harsh past of the original refugees, the Dathanari are a people that value Independence, autonomy and equality above all else, slavery and the likes long since been outlawed by the Ruling Council of the Free States. The traditional divides of the Old World, that of Noble and Commoner, became more and more blurred in Dathanari Society, replaced by one of finical standing, a position that can be obtained and lost by any and all on a whim, no matter of their birth status.
Religious and Other Beliefs:
While officially there is no State Religion, the most dominant religious institution in Dathanar would be the Church of the Sky King, a faith brought over and held onto by the Humans of Avalia during their cruel enslavement under the Dragons. Now forever free, the faith was able to blossom, spreading the prophecies of the Sky King to the savage peoples of the land, embracing his light.
Location/Territories:
Climate:
Military:
Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment:
Magic is common occurrence in Dathanari society, were it not for the mages among the refugees, life in the New World would be more harsh, unforgiving and Dathanar as a whole would be a far different beast then in the present. Three schools of magic are the most prominent within Dathanar: Solid, Liquid, and Plasma.
History/Background Info:
The Dathanari Rebellion:
The beginnings of the Nation of Dathanar can be traced back to the Old World, at the heart of the Yllendyr Imperium hundred eighty-Two years ago, in the massive Slave Slum that came to be known as Dathanar, one so large, that it was itself considered a separate settlement from the City it was attached to. The word "Dathanar" came to be a word the Elves have come to adopt as a scathing insult, the word often associated with "worthlessness", "Nothing" and "Less then Dirt", a word that at first, came to dishearten and break down the population. However, over the years, resentment grew, and in turn, the fires of revolution.
It all begun in May 3rd of 4719, the day the ill-fated Dathanari Rebellion took place. It begun as it would end, in bloodshed. A group of determined slaves, led by a man named Firgus Holen, had ambushed and brutally murdered their elven guards, taking their equipment, this act alone was more then enough to rally the other slaves, as more and more guards were killed in the first few nights, their weapons and armor taken off their fresh bodies, this eventually invited unwanted attention by the Regional Viceroy, who had immediately ordered several battalions to restore order in the Slums, once they stormed the streets, the soldiers were greeted by mobs of of armed slaves, soon fierce fighting had erupted throughout the slums, several days the slaves fought for all their worth, unfortunately their causalities were far outnumbering that of the imperials.
The short-lived rebellion would come to a bloody end, as the elven soldiers had received unexpected reinforcements, a flight of Dragons came souring in the sky as they begun to lit the slums aflame. The original instigators of the rebellion, Firgus Holen, his cohort and the rest of the rebels made their last stand, and held off the encroaching elves, the fires raging on as the whole slum was consumed in flame.
In the aftermath of the battle, the Slum was burnt to ashes, charred corpses littering the streets as more soldiers arrived to the grizzly scene, and were greeted by the sight of thousands upon thousands of now homeless slaves, surrounded by the armed soldiers.
The Exodus:
Despite their crimes committed, the Imperial Viceroy had saw it wasteful to simply slaughter the now defeated rebels, and instead opted for a more creative punishment, the rebels were to be sent to fight and eventually die against the Zeeborg-Fallian Union as cannon fodder.
The affair would last two weeks as ships from across the Imperium were converging to on a nearby port city, the rebels and an abundance of other defiant slaves now were housed in a massive makeshift prison camp, awaiting for their inevitable deaths. However, Firgus and his allies had seen this as a grand, "once in a lifetime" opportunity, and the time to wait for the arrival of the entire fleet was more the enough to organize with the other groups. For their entire stay in the camp, the Dathanari rebels had discussed their plans to the other slave groups, some more welcoming then others of the plan, regardless though, they would be involved one way or another, the plan? Instigate a fleet-wide mutiny against their captors and if successful set sail for the west, far from the Imperium, it was a suicidal plan, if it fails? Their deaths are more then assured before they even reach enemy territory, if it succeeds? Death is still a certainty, as tales of the Cursed West had spread to even the slave slums, any ships that sail beyond the Imperium's borders were never to be seen again.
Regardless, the possibility of true freedom from the Imperium was too alluring, and even if they were to perish to the cursed western seas, at least they would die free men.
And so the plan was set in motion, the Dathanari forging alliances with fellow humans, and reluctantly, a flock of harpy slaves, although in these uncertain times, any help is needed. After weeks of planning and preparation, the fleet had finally arrived, the slaves herded into cramped spaces, a tactic to further demoralize the slaves, unaware of the mutiny soon to take hold.
Once a few days had passed, the time had finally arrived, Firgus' group was the first to instigate the mutiny, slaves assigned as cleaning personnel had abandoned their positions and overwhelmed a few guards, repeating what they had done in the Dathanar Slums, relinquishing them of their weapons, and keys to the holding pens, this act along was enough to trigger chaos among the ranks as the slaves aboard the first ship swarmed every corner, fighting tooth and nail against the ship's crew, many dying in the process, in the chaos, several slaves gathered smashed piles of wood, burning it as they lit the signal for the other slaves to revolt, one after the other, the fleet was complete disarray as the slave rose up once more, some succeeding, others failing, but the fight drew on until all was silent, in the end, the slaves emerged victorious for the first time in centuries, however their own dead was far too great, thousands of their own lying dead.
With no time to spare, the best burial to be given was to be tossed overboard alongside with their enemy, as Firgus took charge as their new leader, his first decree, setting sail for the Cursed West, and braced themselves for whatever challenges and terrors it may hold for the battered refugees.
The New World:
Journey through the Western Seas would be on of death, fear and desperation. As the refugee fleet was beset be vicious storms, starvation, infighting and even cannibalism on a number of vessels, and worst yet, monstrous beasts, the dreaded Kraken, would drag whole ships down to the depths with their massive tendrils, one by one, a refugee ships would sink and be claimed by the Cursed Sea, until only a small handful of ships remained, it seemed death was inevitable for the many survivors, as hope of finding land drifted away from their collective minds, however, that day sooner then expected. The Day has finally come, after months of hardship and death, what's left of the refugee fleet had finally crossed to the other side, a whole New World for the taking.
Rise of Dathanar
Although True Freedom has been tasted, tensions run high among the thousands of survivors as past wrongs spring up, especially towards the Harpies, or had committed most of the cannibalistic acts during their voyage. Tensions rose further as fights broke out, the harpies forced to flee south. Over the first few decades, the refugees, who now proclaimed this land as Dathanar, slowly built up their fragile and divided civilization, settlements dotting the landscape north to south, slowly growing larger, this growth however, was met with harsh resistance, the land, as they soon came to realize, had its own set of inhabitance, some less then welcoming.
For years, human settlements would be besieged by native tribes, having to contend with each other over past rivalries and dealing with a resurgent flock of Harpies as they made their move north. Fortunately for a select few settlements, not all the natives were hostile, meeting like-minded humans in the Dry North, and meeting with envoys from the Amrean Celestial Empire, assuring alliances with a number of coastal and northern colonies, while colonies down south were less then fortunate.
Regardless, for decades Dathanar was both a land of opportunity and of bloodshed, a true test of will for the settlers as they fought for the very soil, however, their true test was to come as force with a dark, insatiable appetite was over the horizon.
The Striogi War and Present
It is quite obvious the arrival of the Dathanari did mot come unnoticed, for quite sometime, the lands of Dathanar being under heavy watch by the Strigoi of the Realms of Wulfram, making the occasional incursions in their territory, harvesting whole villages, however, this was not enough.
On August 14th, 4752, a cabal of Strigoi Lords bordering Dathanar had conspired together, mustering their personal armies to march into the new fertile lands, conquering and enslaving many villages and settlements, regardless if they were Dathanari or Native, for a month they moved virtually unopposed, crushing all who be bold enough to stand in their way.
Eventually, once they had gathered allies in neighboring lands, the Dathanari were able to repel the Strigoi after several years of warfare. The aftermath of the Strigoi War led to the formation of the Union of Free Dathanari States as they are known today.
Union of Free Dathanari States
Type of Government: Confederation
Head(s) of Government: The Council of Dathanar, currently headed by High Councilor Valter Ohlson
Economy: (Main imports, exports, industries, technology level, etc.)
Demographics:
Population: 25 Million
Dathan – Descendants of the Avalian human refugees, although nearly two centuries of separation had changed the Avalian population over time, recognizing themselves as the Dathan. Although they've incorporated Old World, namely Avalian, culture of the time period, the Dathan have developed their own identity, creating new traditions and reforming the old into some new and of their own design.
Tzücomen – Humans native to much of the southern half of the New World, where they've been roaming as herdsmen and nomads since time immemorial. They are distinguished from other humans by their swarthy complexion and artificially deformed cone-shaped skulls, achieved through ritual head binding. Militarily they are competent light cavalry and skirmishers, that have allied and sporadically warred with the Dathanari. Today, they work alongside them as auxiliaries to fight their common enemies.
Gardonian –
Population:
Male
Female
Harpy –
Male
Female
Grogar –
Jakai – Insectoids native to Ukan Badlands, the Jakai are the distant cousins of the Tervigen, sharing biological and cultural traits, with their own set of differences of course. For instance, the build of a jakai is considered much more weak and frail compared to the toughened hide of a Tervigen. From a distance, it would be difficult to tell between a male and female Jakai, but upon closer inspection, males posses wings. Culturally, the Jakai generally take a more conservative approach in their ventures, while males are indeed outgoing, and adventurous, most of the time it is to an limited extent, for many, not wanting to venture too far from their home Warren.
However, there indeed exists many more males, and even females that have ventured beyond their Warren, beyond Dathanar. The more adventurous ones that stay within Dathanar are among the few to enlist in the Combined Defense Forces, particularity the Sky Corps.
Yeshai –
Amrean –
Gnülonlar –
Culture:
Due to the harsh past of the original refugees, the Dathanari are a people that value Independence, autonomy and equality above all else, slavery and the likes long since been outlawed by the Ruling Council of the Free States. The traditional divides of the Old World, that of Noble and Commoner, became more and more blurred in Dathanari Society, replaced by one of finical standing, a position that can be obtained and lost by any and all on a whim, no matter of their birth status.
Religious and Other Beliefs:
While officially there is no State Religion, the most dominant religious institution in Dathanar would be the Church of the Sky King, a faith brought over and held onto by the Humans of Avalia during their cruel enslavement under the Dragons. Now forever free, the faith was able to blossom, spreading the prophecies of the Sky King to the savage peoples of the land, embracing his light.
Location/Territories:
Climate:
Military:
Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment:
Magic is common occurrence in Dathanari society, were it not for the mages among the refugees, life in the New World would be more harsh, unforgiving and Dathanar as a whole would be a far different beast then in the present. Three schools of magic are the most prominent within Dathanar: Solid, Liquid, and Plasma.
History/Background Info:
The Dathanari Rebellion:
The beginnings of the Nation of Dathanar can be traced back to the Old World, at the heart of the Yllendyr Imperium hundred eighty-Two years ago, in the massive Slave Slum that came to be known as Dathanar, one so large, that it was itself considered a separate settlement from the City it was attached to. The word "Dathanar" came to be a word the Elves have come to adopt as a scathing insult, the word often associated with "worthlessness", "Nothing" and "Less then Dirt", a word that at first, came to dishearten and break down the population. However, over the years, resentment grew, and in turn, the fires of revolution.
It all begun in May 3rd of 4719, the day the ill-fated Dathanari Rebellion took place. It begun as it would end, in bloodshed. A group of determined slaves, led by a man named Firgus Holen, had ambushed and brutally murdered their elven guards, taking their equipment, this act alone was more then enough to rally the other slaves, as more and more guards were killed in the first few nights, their weapons and armor taken off their fresh bodies, this eventually invited unwanted attention by the Regional Viceroy, who had immediately ordered several battalions to restore order in the Slums, once they stormed the streets, the soldiers were greeted by mobs of of armed slaves, soon fierce fighting had erupted throughout the slums, several days the slaves fought for all their worth, unfortunately their causalities were far outnumbering that of the imperials.
The short-lived rebellion would come to a bloody end, as the elven soldiers had received unexpected reinforcements, a flight of Dragons came souring in the sky as they begun to lit the slums aflame. The original instigators of the rebellion, Firgus Holen, his cohort and the rest of the rebels made their last stand, and held off the encroaching elves, the fires raging on as the whole slum was consumed in flame.
In the aftermath of the battle, the Slum was burnt to ashes, charred corpses littering the streets as more soldiers arrived to the grizzly scene, and were greeted by the sight of thousands upon thousands of now homeless slaves, surrounded by the armed soldiers.
The Exodus:
Despite their crimes committed, the Imperial Viceroy had saw it wasteful to simply slaughter the now defeated rebels, and instead opted for a more creative punishment, the rebels were to be sent to fight and eventually die against the Zeeborg-Fallian Union as cannon fodder.
The affair would last two weeks as ships from across the Imperium were converging to on a nearby port city, the rebels and an abundance of other defiant slaves now were housed in a massive makeshift prison camp, awaiting for their inevitable deaths. However, Firgus and his allies had seen this as a grand, "once in a lifetime" opportunity, and the time to wait for the arrival of the entire fleet was more the enough to organize with the other groups. For their entire stay in the camp, the Dathanari rebels had discussed their plans to the other slave groups, some more welcoming then others of the plan, regardless though, they would be involved one way or another, the plan? Instigate a fleet-wide mutiny against their captors and if successful set sail for the west, far from the Imperium, it was a suicidal plan, if it fails? Their deaths are more then assured before they even reach enemy territory, if it succeeds? Death is still a certainty, as tales of the Cursed West had spread to even the slave slums, any ships that sail beyond the Imperium's borders were never to be seen again.
Regardless, the possibility of true freedom from the Imperium was too alluring, and even if they were to perish to the cursed western seas, at least they would die free men.
And so the plan was set in motion, the Dathanari forging alliances with fellow humans, and reluctantly, a flock of harpy slaves, although in these uncertain times, any help is needed. After weeks of planning and preparation, the fleet had finally arrived, the slaves herded into cramped spaces, a tactic to further demoralize the slaves, unaware of the mutiny soon to take hold.
Once a few days had passed, the time had finally arrived, Firgus' group was the first to instigate the mutiny, slaves assigned as cleaning personnel had abandoned their positions and overwhelmed a few guards, repeating what they had done in the Dathanar Slums, relinquishing them of their weapons, and keys to the holding pens, this act along was enough to trigger chaos among the ranks as the slaves aboard the first ship swarmed every corner, fighting tooth and nail against the ship's crew, many dying in the process, in the chaos, several slaves gathered smashed piles of wood, burning it as they lit the signal for the other slaves to revolt, one after the other, the fleet was complete disarray as the slave rose up once more, some succeeding, others failing, but the fight drew on until all was silent, in the end, the slaves emerged victorious for the first time in centuries, however their own dead was far too great, thousands of their own lying dead.
With no time to spare, the best burial to be given was to be tossed overboard alongside with their enemy, as Firgus took charge as their new leader, his first decree, setting sail for the Cursed West, and braced themselves for whatever challenges and terrors it may hold for the battered refugees.
The New World:
Journey through the Western Seas would be on of death, fear and desperation. As the refugee fleet was beset be vicious storms, starvation, infighting and even cannibalism on a number of vessels, and worst yet, monstrous beasts, the dreaded Kraken, would drag whole ships down to the depths with their massive tendrils, one by one, a refugee ships would sink and be claimed by the Cursed Sea, until only a small handful of ships remained, it seemed death was inevitable for the many survivors, as hope of finding land drifted away from their collective minds, however, that day sooner then expected. The Day has finally come, after months of hardship and death, what's left of the refugee fleet had finally crossed to the other side, a whole New World for the taking.
Rise of Dathanar
Although True Freedom has been tasted, tensions run high among the thousands of survivors as past wrongs spring up, especially towards the Harpies, or had committed most of the cannibalistic acts during their voyage. Tensions rose further as fights broke out, the harpies forced to flee south. Over the first few decades, the refugees, who now proclaimed this land as Dathanar, slowly built up their fragile and divided civilization, settlements dotting the landscape north to south, slowly growing larger, this growth however, was met with harsh resistance, the land, as they soon came to realize, had its own set of inhabitance, some less then welcoming.
For years, human settlements would be besieged by native tribes, having to contend with each other over past rivalries and dealing with a resurgent flock of Harpies as they made their move north. Fortunately for a select few settlements, not all the natives were hostile, meeting like-minded humans in the Dry North, and meeting with envoys from the Amrean Celestial Empire, assuring alliances with a number of coastal and northern colonies, while colonies down south were less then fortunate.
Regardless, for decades Dathanar was both a land of opportunity and of bloodshed, a true test of will for the settlers as they fought for the very soil, however, their true test was to come as force with a dark, insatiable appetite was over the horizon.
The Striogi War and Present
It is quite obvious the arrival of the Dathanari did mot come unnoticed, for quite sometime, the lands of Dathanar being under heavy watch by the Strigoi of the Realms of Wulfram, making the occasional incursions in their territory, harvesting whole villages, however, this was not enough.
On August 14th, 4752, a cabal of Strigoi Lords bordering Dathanar had conspired together, mustering their personal armies to march into the new fertile lands, conquering and enslaving many villages and settlements, regardless if they were Dathanari or Native, for a month they moved virtually unopposed, crushing all who be bold enough to stand in their way.
Eventually, once they had gathered allies in neighboring lands, the Dathanari were able to repel the Strigoi after several years of warfare. The aftermath of the Strigoi War led to the formation of the Union of Free Dathanari States as they are known today.
Valter Ohlson, recently elected High Councilor of the UFDS.
Alexander Syren, Supreme Commander of the Union Combined Defense Forces.
Alexander Syren, Supreme Commander of the Union Combined Defense Forces.
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A WIP, but it has an overview that gives a pretty good idea.
Edit: updated
Derung, as the subcontinent itself is called, is a largely savage and untamed wilderness. Dense jungles sprawl across much of the rugged inland area and choke out the light, whilst many low-lying coastal regions and estuaries can only be described as swamps. Despite all of that, it has many resources, and for thousands of years it has been home to a diverse mix of primitive native tribes.
Perhaps the foremost and most brutal example of elven ambition and Old World Imperialism, Lemuria is a Yllendyr colony that was founded upon the island of Derung only four decades ago. In that timespan it has already managed to create obscene wealth; those native populations along the western coast that didn't flee east to escape the Yllendyr incursion found themselves brutally subjugated. Even by the standards of the most oppressive dominions, the Lemurian system of slavery imposed upon the natives stands out as especially horrific and appalling. On the rubber plantations, the Yllendyr overseers are expected to impose such a level of fear that it utterly breaks the slaves; an example of this is that every overseer is given a certain quota of hands, fingers, and ears that they must sever from their unruly charges each season. Most of the native slaves toil in rubber plantations, but there are also hardwood logging camps and mines.
In this manner, Lemuria continues to systematically plunder the natural wealth of Derung and rape the land. Despite this, its infrastructure is in a terrible state and it still remains very much a frontier. As efforts have been made to expand the scale of operations, expeditions to found new colonies and worksites further inland have been met with heavy resistance from the remaining free native populations. From the jungles and swamps the natives continue to wage a guerilla war to drive out all foreign invaders from their land, and the colonial government has tried at every step to meet their defiance with even more ruthless force. Whilst the inland is still mostly rugged and uncharted jungle and mountains full of hostile natives, the eastern coast is less populated. Efforts have been made to investigate its potential, but its harbors are not as forgiving and its lands even harder to settle. In addition to the natural obstacles that it imposes, the lawless and untamed east coast is home to several outposts full of pirates and other criminal castaways. For now, Lemuria allows the eastern side of Derung to continue festering while it focuses almost solely upon burning the jungles and taming the inland.
For the past twenty years, General Talic Estroth has ruled over Lemuria (and to hear him say it, all of Derung) with an iron fist. Initially a mere major in the army hailing from a minor noble house, he was quick to advance through the ranks of the military, especially when the failing initial conquest and colonization of Lemuria saw so many of his superiors die to native ambushes, assassinations, diseases, and even mutiny. Estroth has shown himself nigh impervious to all of those things, though, having already survived multiple attempts upon his life. Nonetheless, for each of his merits he has a dozen alleged scandals and stains upon his name. By all accounts the man is cruel and ill-tempered, but many would go so far as to call him mad. Rumors abound not only of the gruesome system he's designed, but also of him harboring a sadistic and psychopathic temperament as he murders and tortures political enemies just as readily as upstart slaves. Critics have styled him the Butcher of Derung, but he embraces and embodies the title. Estroth is feared by all: the natives that he wages war against, the slaves that he works to death, the soldiers that answer to him, the few Yllendyr colonists under his protection, and even some on the mainland are all terrified of the man. The past decades has ensured that he's easily among the most wealthy figures in the Old World, and is perhaps also the single most infamous one. He's come to be viewed by revolutionaries as the living embodiment of all that is wrong with the Imperium.
Type of Government:
Effective military dictatorship, with colonial infrastructure and production under martial law. General Estroth both commands the occupation forces and serves indefinitely as acting colonial governor.
Head(s) of Government:
General Talic Estroth
There have been Yllendyr officials on the mainland that questioned whether it is wise that he has been granted so much autonomy when he could believably be trying to entrench himself and carve out a realm of his own; however, he's never shown any indication of such treachery. To hear him tell it, he's the most zealous of all the Imperium's servants. He's ordered massacres of entire villages for the crimes of harboring traitors or speaking too loudly against him or Yllendyr.
Colonel Zekel Mythec
Estroth's second in command
Captain Gruz
Highest ranking swamp orc; de facto in charge of the swamp orc auxiliaries
Economy:
Demographics:
Coming soon™
Location/Territories:
The equatorial western coast of Derung, which is the map's easternmost large island just to the right of Yllendyr's heartland. On the map, Lemuria is denoted as purple as it is an overseas holding of Yllendyr itself rather than a semi-autonomous dominion or vassal state.
Military:
Coming soon™
Notable swamp orc auxiliary force
Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment:
Coming soon™
-Natives use gas and liquid magic
Edit: updated
Overview:
Derung, as the subcontinent itself is called, is a largely savage and untamed wilderness. Dense jungles sprawl across much of the rugged inland area and choke out the light, whilst many low-lying coastal regions and estuaries can only be described as swamps. Despite all of that, it has many resources, and for thousands of years it has been home to a diverse mix of primitive native tribes.
Perhaps the foremost and most brutal example of elven ambition and Old World Imperialism, Lemuria is a Yllendyr colony that was founded upon the island of Derung only four decades ago. In that timespan it has already managed to create obscene wealth; those native populations along the western coast that didn't flee east to escape the Yllendyr incursion found themselves brutally subjugated. Even by the standards of the most oppressive dominions, the Lemurian system of slavery imposed upon the natives stands out as especially horrific and appalling. On the rubber plantations, the Yllendyr overseers are expected to impose such a level of fear that it utterly breaks the slaves; an example of this is that every overseer is given a certain quota of hands, fingers, and ears that they must sever from their unruly charges each season. Most of the native slaves toil in rubber plantations, but there are also hardwood logging camps and mines.
In this manner, Lemuria continues to systematically plunder the natural wealth of Derung and rape the land. Despite this, its infrastructure is in a terrible state and it still remains very much a frontier. As efforts have been made to expand the scale of operations, expeditions to found new colonies and worksites further inland have been met with heavy resistance from the remaining free native populations. From the jungles and swamps the natives continue to wage a guerilla war to drive out all foreign invaders from their land, and the colonial government has tried at every step to meet their defiance with even more ruthless force. Whilst the inland is still mostly rugged and uncharted jungle and mountains full of hostile natives, the eastern coast is less populated. Efforts have been made to investigate its potential, but its harbors are not as forgiving and its lands even harder to settle. In addition to the natural obstacles that it imposes, the lawless and untamed east coast is home to several outposts full of pirates and other criminal castaways. For now, Lemuria allows the eastern side of Derung to continue festering while it focuses almost solely upon burning the jungles and taming the inland.
For the past twenty years, General Talic Estroth has ruled over Lemuria (and to hear him say it, all of Derung) with an iron fist. Initially a mere major in the army hailing from a minor noble house, he was quick to advance through the ranks of the military, especially when the failing initial conquest and colonization of Lemuria saw so many of his superiors die to native ambushes, assassinations, diseases, and even mutiny. Estroth has shown himself nigh impervious to all of those things, though, having already survived multiple attempts upon his life. Nonetheless, for each of his merits he has a dozen alleged scandals and stains upon his name. By all accounts the man is cruel and ill-tempered, but many would go so far as to call him mad. Rumors abound not only of the gruesome system he's designed, but also of him harboring a sadistic and psychopathic temperament as he murders and tortures political enemies just as readily as upstart slaves. Critics have styled him the Butcher of Derung, but he embraces and embodies the title. Estroth is feared by all: the natives that he wages war against, the slaves that he works to death, the soldiers that answer to him, the few Yllendyr colonists under his protection, and even some on the mainland are all terrified of the man. The past decades has ensured that he's easily among the most wealthy figures in the Old World, and is perhaps also the single most infamous one. He's come to be viewed by revolutionaries as the living embodiment of all that is wrong with the Imperium.
The subcontinental island of Derung was discovered by sailors from the Old World many centuries ago. Though it was known to many states of the Old World, no serious colonization attempts were ever made until rather recently, due in large part to what reports came from the few exploration efforts that were launched over the years. The land was somewhat remote and seemed so rugged and untamed that trying to exploit its resources and control it seemed a wasted effort. In time it came to be a pirate haven of sorts; numerous hideouts for lawless types were built on inland coves or in secluded harbors, and these pirates had just enough bad run-ins with the indigenous populations to make the formerly curious natives grow territorial and aggressive to any foreigners that they encountered. The hostility of the natives was just yet another factor compounded onto the list of reasons that no major powers wanted to invest in the subcontinent.
In the distant past, several breeds of natives came to occupy the region of Derung. In the modern day, there exist two distinct groups: the Derung swamp orcs that lived near the coast, and the so-called 'pygmies' that mostly dwell in the jungles. Though the pygmies bear a great deal of resemblance to the humans that can be found on the Old World, the Yllendyr have classified them as taxonomically different to (and inferior than) humans, despite their one redeeming factor in that they have skin dark as the native mahogany. This classification came to be in part because of the convenience of declaring the local populations to be the lowest of the low and fit only for slavery, but also because their language, mental capacity, technology, and customs were all significantly more primitive than had been seen in any other barbarous population of humans. In addition, their bone structure has slight differences. By elven standards the pygmies have even uglier visages than those of men, and the pygmies have ankle structures better suited for climbing yet worse for running and walking, and they of course earned their name by having such short stature. Many pygmies would be on the very low end of 'average' for a human, but some tribes have no men much taller than four and a half feet. Modern scholars have posited two main theories: the first that these pygmies are descended from the native monkeys, and the second that the island of Derung was once connected to the mainland thousands of years ago and that the humans that dwelled upon it either remained half bestial cavemen or perhaps even degenerated from their former status. Nobody seriously entertains the possibility of the pygmies being descended from humans that sailed to the island from elsewhere during prehistoric times, namely because the pygmies have demonstrated nothing more than the capacity to craft small and canoes and various other crude rivercraft, and the notion of them building seaworthy vessels is dismissed as absurd.
The swamp orcs are the second distinct group of natives. They are gigantic by the standards of the pygmies, and large still in the eyes of the Yllendyr. The swamp orcs have a greyish hue of skin not so different from that of the Yllendyr, a stature slightly taller than most humans and significantly more muscular, and a characteristic dogmatic aggression that combines with the cultural phenomena of them almost all being both brave and brutal. Though the orcs and pygmies are alike in that they keep only oral tradition and have no written history with which to help scholars, the swamp orcs tell tales of other lands and of great spirits that can carry people across worlds. For that reason, prevailing historical theorists are not so condescending towards the swamp orcs, and many believe that they are distantly related to the orc populations present in the modern-day state of Fibor, perhaps descended from sailors that left their ancestral homeland centuries ago and came to reside upon Derung at some point prior to when the explorers of old discovered the island and noted the swamp orcs as being among the local inhabitants.
Historically, both the pygmy and the swamp orc populations were divided into numerous tribes and ethnic groups that frequently raided one another. Relations between the pygmies and the swamp orcs have varied over the years, but have hardly ever been good. The swamp orcs, despite being numerically inferior, are simply so much individually stronger that the pygmies have never had success fighting them in open combat. It has been through the use of ambushes, guerilla warfare, and an excellent knowledge on how to create effective poisons that the pygmies have always managed to successfully defend their jungles from swamp orc incursions.
In the distant past, several breeds of natives came to occupy the region of Derung. In the modern day, there exist two distinct groups: the Derung swamp orcs that lived near the coast, and the so-called 'pygmies' that mostly dwell in the jungles. Though the pygmies bear a great deal of resemblance to the humans that can be found on the Old World, the Yllendyr have classified them as taxonomically different to (and inferior than) humans, despite their one redeeming factor in that they have skin dark as the native mahogany. This classification came to be in part because of the convenience of declaring the local populations to be the lowest of the low and fit only for slavery, but also because their language, mental capacity, technology, and customs were all significantly more primitive than had been seen in any other barbarous population of humans. In addition, their bone structure has slight differences. By elven standards the pygmies have even uglier visages than those of men, and the pygmies have ankle structures better suited for climbing yet worse for running and walking, and they of course earned their name by having such short stature. Many pygmies would be on the very low end of 'average' for a human, but some tribes have no men much taller than four and a half feet. Modern scholars have posited two main theories: the first that these pygmies are descended from the native monkeys, and the second that the island of Derung was once connected to the mainland thousands of years ago and that the humans that dwelled upon it either remained half bestial cavemen or perhaps even degenerated from their former status. Nobody seriously entertains the possibility of the pygmies being descended from humans that sailed to the island from elsewhere during prehistoric times, namely because the pygmies have demonstrated nothing more than the capacity to craft small and canoes and various other crude rivercraft, and the notion of them building seaworthy vessels is dismissed as absurd.
The swamp orcs are the second distinct group of natives. They are gigantic by the standards of the pygmies, and large still in the eyes of the Yllendyr. The swamp orcs have a greyish hue of skin not so different from that of the Yllendyr, a stature slightly taller than most humans and significantly more muscular, and a characteristic dogmatic aggression that combines with the cultural phenomena of them almost all being both brave and brutal. Though the orcs and pygmies are alike in that they keep only oral tradition and have no written history with which to help scholars, the swamp orcs tell tales of other lands and of great spirits that can carry people across worlds. For that reason, prevailing historical theorists are not so condescending towards the swamp orcs, and many believe that they are distantly related to the orc populations present in the modern-day state of Fibor, perhaps descended from sailors that left their ancestral homeland centuries ago and came to reside upon Derung at some point prior to when the explorers of old discovered the island and noted the swamp orcs as being among the local inhabitants.
Historically, both the pygmy and the swamp orc populations were divided into numerous tribes and ethnic groups that frequently raided one another. Relations between the pygmies and the swamp orcs have varied over the years, but have hardly ever been good. The swamp orcs, despite being numerically inferior, are simply so much individually stronger that the pygmies have never had success fighting them in open combat. It has been through the use of ambushes, guerilla warfare, and an excellent knowledge on how to create effective poisons that the pygmies have always managed to successfully defend their jungles from swamp orc incursions.
The modern history of Derung began with Yllendyr's recent colonization attempts and their eventual foundation of Lemuria. It was only five decades ago that the Imperium of Yllendyr (and by extent, the rest of the world) began to take serious interest in Derung. While attempting to cleanse it of the increasing numerous and brazen population of pirates and exiles that had come to grow there, the Imperium became aware that the island had rubber and minerals in great abundance. After several years of small-scale scouting to confirm the rumors, make note of the natives, and assess the territory for suitable sites to settle, the first true military expedition was sent forty years ago.
The venture was launched with the backing of Emperor Naerzo as well as numerous other noble investors, so in addition to numerous citizen settlers coming to make their fortunes or simply acquire large tracts of cheap land, several hundred imperial soldiers were sent. Three ships landed upon the shores, and laborers were quick to establish a camp that would later grow to Port Lemuria. The swamp orcs were to first natives to encounter the new colony, despite their appearance and hostile reputation, they were deemed to be surprisingly civilized. Some of the swamp orcs already had limited trade and dealings with foreign pirates and the like. Even as the Imperial Navy sent a fleet to the new colony about purging the worst of the pirate havens, the colonists saw the potential to simply replace the pirates in their dealings with the orcs. Peace talks ensued. With promises of wealth and food and protection, most of the swamp orcs agreed to learn Yllerian and become imperial subjects. There was resistance from a few especially aggressive tribes that had the foresight to see what was to come, but their attacks were divided and weak and those barbarous tribes were utterly crushed. The quick execution of all their shamans and chieftains shocked other tribes into peacefully ceding to elven demands, and it also ensured the loyalty of the surviving and now subjugated, formerly-rebellious orcs.
Pygmy interaction was still rare by that point; though the swamp orcs were able to confirm the historians' tales of the pygmies dwelling deep in the jungle, at this point Lemuria was still confined to the coast and the swamps and estuaries of their new subjects. Since they were mounting only limited exploration efforts inland, they came into contact with only about ten of the dozens of different pygmy tribes. Nonetheless, the pygmies were dealt with similarly to the swamp orcs, yet they proved far more defiant and unwilling to submit. Significantly more violence and coercion was used in the subjugation of the first few pygmy tribes, but as word traveled to the others, the jungle's inhabitants began to offer incredibly fierce resistance.
Within two years, under one General Ridaros, Yllendyr had negotiated treaties with over 70 separate tribal entities and estimated the number of new legal subjects to be in excess of 20,000. As they made steady success, their base camp expanded to accommodate further waves of colonists, and soon it turned into a true and permanent port town. Citrus plantations and logging camps were soon built near the coast; despite being able to export much-desired teak as well as growing quantities of fruits and the swamp orcs' native crops like rice, the colony was thus far still a moneysink. Greedy for a return on the hefty initial investment, a renewed focus was placed upon the initial goal of producing rubber. Almost overnight they redoubled their slow efforts to explore the inland jungles and bring the pygmies to heel, but to disastrous effect. Several squads sent into the jungle never returned. Lemuria still didn't dare to leave their colony without a respectable garrison for fear of their new and still-barbarous subjects entertaining thoughts of uprising, so they concentrated all of the manpower that could be spared into one expedition force and sent it inland. In that manner they'd expected to conquer the pygmies one by one, admittedly in a much slower fashion than was ideal, but with minimum casualties. Instead, they were met with incredibly fierce resistance from a newly formed tribal confederation of pygmies, many of whom had firearms. They'd looted some weapons off the previous squads of soldiers that went missing, stolen others from explorers, and (as it would later be found out) purchased training and additional weapons from some of the remaining pirates that kept a presence on the island's eastern coast.
In one horrific ambush, the pygmy confederation killed the entirety of the scouting force; the fate of the hundreds of soldiers and the colonel in charge became clear some weeks later when the pygmies left severed heads and flayed skins along the jungle's edge. But before the Lemurians became aware of those events and realized their peril, the pygmies quickly launched an attack on the colony. As their relations from the various groups of swamp orcs had previously ranged from being sworn enemies to merely harboring a dislike, the pygmies raided several swamp orc communities and killed several important tribal leaders that had acted as intermediaries between the orcs and their new overlords. At the same time, several Yllendyr colonists were butchered when the pygmies razed numerous relatively undefended citrus plantations and logging camps that were away from the main port. Though they didn't dare strike Port Lemuria directly, a small group of enemies did manage to disguise themselves as some of the already subjugated pygmies and then use that cover to assassinate General Ridaros. Even as they made efforts to withdraw the outlying colonists and fortify Lemuria whilst they repelled the hostile army, a sudden outbreak of malaria further crippled the colony and claimed yet more Lemurians, including several officers. Left in utter chaos, the chain of command placed one Major Estroth in command. From there, the rest was history.
Over the next five years he managed to take Lemuria from the brink of utter failure and abandonment into what would become by far the empire's most profitable colony; first he purged the already subjugated pygmies on the suspicion that they had been acting as spies and aiding the enemy, and then he negotiated with the swamp orcs for military support. Realizing the peril of his situation now that the swamp orcs were beginning to see that they were in a losing bargain, especially since they now outnumbered the remaining Yllendyr soldiers more than ever, Estroth killed the whole flock of birds with one stone. By enlisting the swamp orcs as official auxiliary forces, they were able to rise in the eyes of the empire, and thus he could use government funds to arm and pay them generously enough to ensure their continued loyalty to him. Then, whilst awaiting further reinforcements from the mainland, Estroth trained his new army and had them guard the colony from pygmy raids. That bought him time and prevented the pygmies from destroying the colony or forcing the Lemurians to withdraw.
When he eventually did receive the needed supplies and reinforcements from the mainland, Estroth left the majority of them to guard Lemuria and took only a few of them to supplement his force of some 2,000 orc auxiliaries. The orcs were natives and knew the land as well as the enemy, but beyond that, they were expendable. In fact, by sending so many of their fittest people into the proverbial meatgrinder, he crippled the swamp orcs' ability to later revolt whilst simultaneously sparing the Yllendyr soldiers from taking more than neglible casualties. Marching his force into the jungle personally, Estroth was able to utterly crush the pygmy confederation. Those natives that didn't flee further inland to the mountains or around to the eastern coast were brutally enslaved. Much to their surprise and glee, the Yllendyr confirmed the reports of great amounts of rubber existing further inland, and then would later come to find that Derung's hills contained a wealth of copper, silver, and even diamonds. After recent events, there came no objections when Estroth implemented the horrific (albeit highly efficient) system that would go on to make colony famous around the world--for its cruelty yes, but also the obscene wealth that it generated.
The venture was launched with the backing of Emperor Naerzo as well as numerous other noble investors, so in addition to numerous citizen settlers coming to make their fortunes or simply acquire large tracts of cheap land, several hundred imperial soldiers were sent. Three ships landed upon the shores, and laborers were quick to establish a camp that would later grow to Port Lemuria. The swamp orcs were to first natives to encounter the new colony, despite their appearance and hostile reputation, they were deemed to be surprisingly civilized. Some of the swamp orcs already had limited trade and dealings with foreign pirates and the like. Even as the Imperial Navy sent a fleet to the new colony about purging the worst of the pirate havens, the colonists saw the potential to simply replace the pirates in their dealings with the orcs. Peace talks ensued. With promises of wealth and food and protection, most of the swamp orcs agreed to learn Yllerian and become imperial subjects. There was resistance from a few especially aggressive tribes that had the foresight to see what was to come, but their attacks were divided and weak and those barbarous tribes were utterly crushed. The quick execution of all their shamans and chieftains shocked other tribes into peacefully ceding to elven demands, and it also ensured the loyalty of the surviving and now subjugated, formerly-rebellious orcs.
Pygmy interaction was still rare by that point; though the swamp orcs were able to confirm the historians' tales of the pygmies dwelling deep in the jungle, at this point Lemuria was still confined to the coast and the swamps and estuaries of their new subjects. Since they were mounting only limited exploration efforts inland, they came into contact with only about ten of the dozens of different pygmy tribes. Nonetheless, the pygmies were dealt with similarly to the swamp orcs, yet they proved far more defiant and unwilling to submit. Significantly more violence and coercion was used in the subjugation of the first few pygmy tribes, but as word traveled to the others, the jungle's inhabitants began to offer incredibly fierce resistance.
Within two years, under one General Ridaros, Yllendyr had negotiated treaties with over 70 separate tribal entities and estimated the number of new legal subjects to be in excess of 20,000. As they made steady success, their base camp expanded to accommodate further waves of colonists, and soon it turned into a true and permanent port town. Citrus plantations and logging camps were soon built near the coast; despite being able to export much-desired teak as well as growing quantities of fruits and the swamp orcs' native crops like rice, the colony was thus far still a moneysink. Greedy for a return on the hefty initial investment, a renewed focus was placed upon the initial goal of producing rubber. Almost overnight they redoubled their slow efforts to explore the inland jungles and bring the pygmies to heel, but to disastrous effect. Several squads sent into the jungle never returned. Lemuria still didn't dare to leave their colony without a respectable garrison for fear of their new and still-barbarous subjects entertaining thoughts of uprising, so they concentrated all of the manpower that could be spared into one expedition force and sent it inland. In that manner they'd expected to conquer the pygmies one by one, admittedly in a much slower fashion than was ideal, but with minimum casualties. Instead, they were met with incredibly fierce resistance from a newly formed tribal confederation of pygmies, many of whom had firearms. They'd looted some weapons off the previous squads of soldiers that went missing, stolen others from explorers, and (as it would later be found out) purchased training and additional weapons from some of the remaining pirates that kept a presence on the island's eastern coast.
In one horrific ambush, the pygmy confederation killed the entirety of the scouting force; the fate of the hundreds of soldiers and the colonel in charge became clear some weeks later when the pygmies left severed heads and flayed skins along the jungle's edge. But before the Lemurians became aware of those events and realized their peril, the pygmies quickly launched an attack on the colony. As their relations from the various groups of swamp orcs had previously ranged from being sworn enemies to merely harboring a dislike, the pygmies raided several swamp orc communities and killed several important tribal leaders that had acted as intermediaries between the orcs and their new overlords. At the same time, several Yllendyr colonists were butchered when the pygmies razed numerous relatively undefended citrus plantations and logging camps that were away from the main port. Though they didn't dare strike Port Lemuria directly, a small group of enemies did manage to disguise themselves as some of the already subjugated pygmies and then use that cover to assassinate General Ridaros. Even as they made efforts to withdraw the outlying colonists and fortify Lemuria whilst they repelled the hostile army, a sudden outbreak of malaria further crippled the colony and claimed yet more Lemurians, including several officers. Left in utter chaos, the chain of command placed one Major Estroth in command. From there, the rest was history.
Over the next five years he managed to take Lemuria from the brink of utter failure and abandonment into what would become by far the empire's most profitable colony; first he purged the already subjugated pygmies on the suspicion that they had been acting as spies and aiding the enemy, and then he negotiated with the swamp orcs for military support. Realizing the peril of his situation now that the swamp orcs were beginning to see that they were in a losing bargain, especially since they now outnumbered the remaining Yllendyr soldiers more than ever, Estroth killed the whole flock of birds with one stone. By enlisting the swamp orcs as official auxiliary forces, they were able to rise in the eyes of the empire, and thus he could use government funds to arm and pay them generously enough to ensure their continued loyalty to him. Then, whilst awaiting further reinforcements from the mainland, Estroth trained his new army and had them guard the colony from pygmy raids. That bought him time and prevented the pygmies from destroying the colony or forcing the Lemurians to withdraw.
When he eventually did receive the needed supplies and reinforcements from the mainland, Estroth left the majority of them to guard Lemuria and took only a few of them to supplement his force of some 2,000 orc auxiliaries. The orcs were natives and knew the land as well as the enemy, but beyond that, they were expendable. In fact, by sending so many of their fittest people into the proverbial meatgrinder, he crippled the swamp orcs' ability to later revolt whilst simultaneously sparing the Yllendyr soldiers from taking more than neglible casualties. Marching his force into the jungle personally, Estroth was able to utterly crush the pygmy confederation. Those natives that didn't flee further inland to the mountains or around to the eastern coast were brutally enslaved. Much to their surprise and glee, the Yllendyr confirmed the reports of great amounts of rubber existing further inland, and then would later come to find that Derung's hills contained a wealth of copper, silver, and even diamonds. After recent events, there came no objections when Estroth implemented the horrific (albeit highly efficient) system that would go on to make colony famous around the world--for its cruelty yes, but also the obscene wealth that it generated.
Type of Government:
Effective military dictatorship, with colonial infrastructure and production under martial law. General Estroth both commands the occupation forces and serves indefinitely as acting colonial governor.
Head(s) of Government:
General Talic Estroth
There have been Yllendyr officials on the mainland that questioned whether it is wise that he has been granted so much autonomy when he could believably be trying to entrench himself and carve out a realm of his own; however, he's never shown any indication of such treachery. To hear him tell it, he's the most zealous of all the Imperium's servants. He's ordered massacres of entire villages for the crimes of harboring traitors or speaking too loudly against him or Yllendyr.
Colonel Zekel Mythec
Estroth's second in command
Captain Gruz
Highest ranking swamp orc; de facto in charge of the swamp orc auxiliaries
Economy:
Imports: Consumer goods, settlers, military personnel and equipment, food
Exports: Rubber, copper, silver, diamonds, citrus
Exports: Rubber, copper, silver, diamonds, citrus
Most of the infrastructure is within ten miles of a river or the coast; large swathes of the inland areas are still very much untamed.
Coming soon™
-Mostly small dirt or gravel roads
-Horses and motorized vehicles impractical; heavy reliance upon rivers and steamboats
Coming soon™
-Mostly small dirt or gravel roads
-Horses and motorized vehicles impractical; heavy reliance upon rivers and steamboats
Demographics:
Coming soon™
Location/Territories:
The equatorial western coast of Derung, which is the map's easternmost large island just to the right of Yllendyr's heartland. On the map, Lemuria is denoted as purple as it is an overseas holding of Yllendyr itself rather than a semi-autonomous dominion or vassal state.
Military:
Coming soon™
Notable swamp orc auxiliary force
Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment:
Coming soon™
-Natives use gas and liquid magic
GM
Meiyuuhi Her Divine Grace
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Melikit Tenrisi Akkanun'in
Sacred Domain of Akkanun
Type of Government: Absolute imperial monarchy, dynastic.
In the rigidly hierarchical Akkanid society, power is concentrated in the ruling family, whose head holds absolute sway over all matters of the realm. Despite the dynasty being furthered through female heirs by matrilineal descendance, in accordance with tervigen customs the effective ruler is the oldest male, usually the current queen’s elder consort; his younger peers act as his Vizirs, a combination of trusted advisors, lieutenants and bodyguards. The queens themselves typically take on a role akin to that of chamberlains, managing the household and keeping the excesses of the court in check.
The most immediate executors of the ruler’s will are the gradasi, the caste of warrior-nobles that tops the pyramid of Akkanid social strata. Their ranks supply the emirs and officials that govern the Domain’s provinces and subjugated states, as well as the consorts of successive queens. Directly following them is the colourful array of scribes, clergy, lesser administrators and military leaders, legislators, slave masters and other cogs and pieces of the great bureaucratic machine that ensures law and order are enforced throughout the land. While formally known as members of the royal court, only a fraction of their number actually resides in the capital, the majority acting as local representatives wherever the government maintains a presence.
Head of Government: Sultan Bayazid Haikin Agrameyn, Anointed Guardian of the Sacred Domain.
Economy: Although not primitive by any stretch, and indeed rather opulent, Akkanun’s economy remains based almost exclusively on the commerce and craftsmanship based in its sprawling urban centers, with industrialisation being sparse and overall prevented from developing to any significant degree by social conditions. The bulk of agricultural and other menial work is carried out by slaves and lower castes, for the most part in the employ of small landowners or the state itself - an arrangement which varies to lesser or greater extent from one emirate to another, depending on the original local culture, but remains mostly consistent throughout the Domain thanks to fairly stringent policies of stratification.
By contrast, regulations on trade are surprisingly liberal, allowing for an easy circulation of goods within Akkanun and relatively effortless ventures beyond its borders. Whilst originally intended to make trade a vector for cultural contact and integration, and thus consolidation of sovereign authority, these laws have allowed a drastic growth in the individual wealth of the higher castes, and by extension in the royal treasury built upon them. Notably, with a guaranteed steady influx of raw wares, and the thriving slave trade being abundantly fueled by blood taxes levied on provinces and tributaries, there is a continued incentive for skilled artisan labour to fill the niche of manufactured goods, which has led to virtually every free citizen family adopting some sort of craft as a source of income, whether minor or essential. Successful ventures can develop into wealthy and respected hereditary trade lineages with solid hopes of social mobility, but even the lowliest agrarian household with two or three chattel to its name enjoys the opportunity of sending one of its sons to the nearest bazaar every week to sell some of its homemade baskets and bring back a taste of the busy city life.
Population: ca. 87 million total. Largely peoples of subjugated realms, although a significant number is also concentrated in the sprawling cities of the tervigen homelands.
Primary Species:
Tervigen: Midway between insectoid and reptilian, these creatures hail from the arid wastes and steppes of the southwest, seemingly finding themselves at home in these harsh territories. Their tough, carapace-like hides help them preserve body moisture as well as providing a sturdy natural protection, and the glossy membranes that give their eyes their distinctive golden hue dampen the light that strikes their eyes, allowing them to comfortably see in sunlight that would dazzle or blind humans. The unforgiving environment of their home has left the tervigen free of any squeamishness, and they will readily gobble anything they can get their hands on, be it animal, vegetal or even their own dead when nothing better is to be found.
All the while, though these features make them well-suited to life in their native lands, they also cripple their ability to adapt to foreign conditions. Cold or damp climates make them uncomfortable, and they are virtually blind in all but the clearest of nights, having to rely on hearing and the vibration-sense of their feelers.
Tervigen hatch from eggs which their females lay in clutches of between three and six. The ratio of male to female births is disproportionately high, and it is thus customary for women to have multiple husbands (generally two or three, and never more than five); the latter generally see each other as bond-brothers of sorts, although variations exist across local cultures. Psychologically, tervigen males tend to overall be more sociable, adventurous and combative, while females, who are likewise physically larger and stronger, are sedentary and territorial. This has led to the formation of an overarching social order where household authority is matriarchal, but men represent their families in public affairs, and thus hold official charges and positions.
Tzücomen Humans: As common as they are elsewhere in the southern regions of the New World, Tzücomen are by far the most widespread human ethnicity in Akkanun. Though historically descended from the Transtulanian Beyliks and to this day not entirely severed from their nomadic roots, centuries of tervigen rule have brought their culture closer to the broader norms of the Domain. As such, they are more inclined to settling than their northern kin, and those who do live on the move tend to migrate following regular cycles, usually tied to seasonal effects on agriculture and cattle-herding.
Grogar: With the once-major grogar realm of Agar Dûkh having been one of the first local nations to become a tributary of Akkanun, it is but natural that these beings should be as populous as the Tzücomen, if not more so, within the Domain’s confines. Although their status has allowed them to retain a greater share of distinctiveness to their customs and traditions, the Akkanid grogar have not remained untouched by the gradual mingling of its peoples, and many of their more recent social adjustments have come to mirror this, such as the sweeping adoption of Domain mercantile laws. The grogar’s hardiness makes them a popular source of köleceri, the caste of redoubtably zealous indoctrinated slave-soldiers that forms the backbone of the Sultan’s armies.
Other Minorities:
Üarim: Inhabiting the northern conquered provinces of Akkanun, the prideful Üarim have taken ill to foreign domination, proving turbulent subjects at the best of times. While the heavy hand of tervigen domination has thus far quelled all attempts at revolt and secession, the advent of the Miranid horde presents a new peril, and numerous northerners have already taken the opportunity to join the march of their fellows rather than battle them in defense of the Akkanid holdings.
Strigoi: Mostly lone marauders crossing into the eastern provinces from Wulfram to prey on the populace, strigoi sometimes become themselves the targets of bold hunting parties who seek to capture and sell them to nobles and dignitaries as glorified pets or arena beasts - a perilous endeavour, especially when it earns the resentment of other night-dwellers across the border.
Daywalkers: Some enterprising and reckless potentates who keep a live strigoi have taken to forcefully breeding their monstrous captives with slaves to produce daywalker spawn. The offspring are raised to be blindly loyal to Akkanun, and become the most fearsome köleceri warriors at the Sultan’s disposal.
Culture: As a nation comprised of various holdings and subjects, Akkanun is a conflux of cultural customs and heritages from throughout the southwestern New World, but the rule of the Domain has enforced a number of uniform features which hold true for all its inhabitants. While formal laws are fairly permissive and generally seen as flexible, great importance is given to hierarchy and social position. The segmented nature of Akkanid society itself is defined by this reverence for authority, and it is seen as very ill form to voice even the mildest criticism of one’s superiors, let alone outright disagree with them. Severe though this may appear, some leeway is afforded by the complexity and mutability of the caste system, and as long as one does not overstep certain obvious boundaries, commentary is permissible, as would be obvious to anyone who visited a typical bazaar.
Broadly speaking, social strata are divided into three groups. The lower castes, composed of farmers, miners and other simple labourers, are found living prevalently in the countryside, though some more specialised workers, such as stonemasons, have a sizeable presence in urban centres. Traders and artisans, distinctly a step above, are nonetheless the latter’s most numerous inhabitants, albeit modest landowners, who enjoy a similar status, typically choose to reside near their holdings. Finally, the upper echelons, the Sultan’s court and the freeman military, are scattered wherever their duties may take them, but tend to prefer the luxuries of urban life when given the freedom of a choice. Slaves, integral to Akkanun’s authoritarian culture and economy alike, stand in a somewhat odd position, as they are themselves divided into different categories. Though the vast majority are considered inferiors of even the lower castes, some few, notably the köleceri and certain others who possess unique skills, enjoy privileges comparable to those of freemen, and are subordinate to very few masters - sometimes only the Sultan himself.
A subtler influence of tervigen dominance is universal prominence of war and commerce, seen as equally necessary facts of life, civilised or not, and vital forms of the growth and expression of a society and its members alike. Those who do not contribute to either in some capacity are held in contempt, although different Domain cultures often approach this differently - for instance, Agari grogar consider the role of religion in inspiring martial vigour into the populace more important, and thus hold the clergy in relatively higher regard, while most Tzücomen have much more straightforward views on the matter.
Religious and Other Beliefs: Religion is as varied as lay culture in the Domain, with none being either obligatory or proscribed, although the adherents of most faiths enjoy less opportunities and social mobility than those of the native Akkanid worship of the Sky-Mother. This tervigen cult reveres a guardian deity believed to reside in the heavens and keep watch over her chosen children at night through her many eyes, the stars and moon. By day she sleeps, though she keeps her brightest eye, the sun, open to guide the faithful. Consequently, astrology is held in high regard among the sciences, as its practitioners are believed to be able to read the will of the Mother in the night sky.
Other major religions include the Üarim and Tzücomen worship of their own Sun and Fire Gods, and the Grogar cult of the Deep.
Location/Territories: Only major region/province borders are shown.
Climate: Mostly hot and dry from the coast into the western heartlands, growing slightly cooler as one moves eastwards in the direction of Wulfram, and more humid and fertile to the north. Vegetation mostly consists of wasteland shrubs and small trees, though mediterranean-like thickets and undergrowth intensify near the coastline.
Military: When marching to war, Akkanun is notorious for its ability to raise immense armies at a moment’s notice by conscripting vast numbers of slaves and low-castes. However, while useful for intimidating enemies and culling the rabble should it grow restless, this is merely a diversionary strategy, as such gigantic hordes are impossible to supply and maintain for any length of time; though numerous, their warriors are poorly armed and trained, prone to breaking when facing superior foes, and eager to desert when they find an opportunity.
Instead, the true strength of the Domain’s military lies in its core of professional soldiers, whether gradasi, köleceri slaves or citizens who take up a life in arms by their own choice. These forces are superbly disciplined, equipped with the best money can buy, and in most cases ready to fight to the last blood at the Sultan’s orders. On the battlefield, they are supported by crude but time-tested artillery such as bombards and mortars, and mages who bring their supernatural powers and arcane contraptions to bear against the enemy.
In addition, Akkanid armies usually include auxiliaries from their subject states, ranging from Tzücomen cavalry and skirmishers to heavily armoured Grogar shock troops.
Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment: While mage births are no more common in Akkanun than elsewhere, practitioners of the craft are relatively common. A skilled mage is guaranteed to prosper either as an artisan and peddler of enchanted wares or a war-caster, and the most capable and fortunate may even achieve lucrative positions in the royal court.
Tervigen as a species tend towards a gaseous alignment, being best-known for their ability to raise violent sandstorms and conjure clouds of acrid smoke or narcotic vapour. Plasma and liquid follow as the other most prevalent ones.
History/Background Info: The beginnings of tervigen history stretch back into the night of time, and are equally obscure. For as long as anyone can remember, the bellicose desert folk had been warring among themselves and with their neighbours, to whom they had always proved a nuisance with their slaving raids and conquering aggression. The first and only lengthy period of respite from this ceaseless swarming was brought about by Wulfram’s conquest over a thousand years ago. While there are few, if any, surviving records of that time, inscriptions found on ruins and ancient artefacts hint that for a while the southwest was pacified, and some form of agreement existed between the locals and the Strigoi. The latter supposedly acted as protectors some sort, collecting a tithe in blood in exchange.
It is known that a millennium from the present day there was a great culling of mages, soon after followed by the retreat of the Strigoi. The events of the next two hundred years are poorly documented, but, considering that a unified tervigen state began to expand outside its ancestral territories after that time, it is likely that internecine struggles resumed as soon as Wulfram’s order collapsed; that they should have eventually found a conclusion is likely due to some tribes having been struck less grievously than others, and left better able to build upon the remains of Strigoi buildings, which in many cases would become the foundations for Akkanun’s current great cities.
Their hosts finally unified, the Akkanids poured out from their native deserts, overrunning the human, Grogar and Üarim near their borders. Though stopped from advancing further by the confines of Strigoi lands, which they did not dare invade, geographical barriers and progressively less hospitable climates, the empire they had carved out for themselves was large enough that maintaining control over it would require their full attention. Thus, centuries passed as they consolidated their rule and grew complacent with power, framed by the occasional raid or skirmish at the borders. Lately, however, forces greater than Akkanun has faced in a long time have begun to stir outside its confines, and the first incursions of the Miranid horde have stirred up no little alarm in the masters of the Domain, and many suspect worse things still lie in wait for the future.
Willy Vereb The Wordy Engineer
Member
Seen
3 days ago
Name: Fenizia Republiqua del Dio (Phoenix Republic of the Sun, alternatively Divine Republic of Fenice), Fenice for shorthand
Common Demonym: Fenizian/Fenician
Government Type: Federal Divine Republic (see below)
Head of the State: Genitrix del Dio Grande Superior et Santissimo
Dominant Species: Calavenyr (Sun Elves)
Capital City: Fenizia
Population: ~72 million
Area: 1.336 million square km land, 0.136 million square km territorial waters
Fenice is a somewhat eccentric country ruled by the sun elves. Their state religion Dionism is well known and focuses on worshiping the Sun. Fenicians are almost infectiously vigorous and their enthusiasm might easily catch one off guard. While considered friendly they are also known to be ferocious fighters and lead several holy crusades in the past. Calavenyr (sun elves) have a long history of love-hate relationship with dark elves of Ylleria. Sometimes they were grave enemies, other times staunch allies. Currently the relations between Yllendyr and Fenice are quite positive thanks to the Dionist clergy signing an alliance to the Imperium.
History
TBATerritory
The land of Fenice, alternatively referred as Ardensuo, is located somewhere at the edge of the temperate climate zone between 29 to 47 degrees latitude. A lush and abundant territory thanks to being in the delta of the river Rilucorsi. Weather wise the northernmost regions are more mediterranean while the southern edges are closer to oceanic climates. A small patch between the end of the river deltas and the ocean bays is also known to be a desert thanks to the mountains blocking rainclouds.
Demographics
The land of Ardensuo has many inhabitants albeit the sun elves (Calavenyr) are the most dominant. According to the census in YDC 4900 there are currently 100 million sun elves, about 45 million at home while 55 million is spread elsewhere through the Fifteen Dominions. Even in other countries the Calavenyr tend to form their own little circles based on Fenician culture. While this isn't necessarily paired with a sense of loyalty it can be said that practically every sun elf still considers Fenice their motherland. In spite of the Imperial effort to unite Calavenyr with the growing pan-elven culture it only had moderate successes so far. Make no mistake the Calavenyr does feel a kinship with other elves, there are little if any lingering hostilities from the past. Yet the divergence from the general elvish culture is so distant their complete integration feels like an impossible task. Given these circumstances it isn't surprising that Fenice has a very low Yllendyr population, maybe one and half million. This includes government officials, merchants, skilled workers, scientists and even those who serve in the Auxilia stationed in Fenice. Fluctuations in this number are considerable as most Yllendyr would not find the Fenician society comfortable. As a consequence there's also the popular Fenician view on the dark elves of Ylleria as stuck-up no-nonsense weirdos. Instead of them the second biggest elvish demographic in Fenice are the wood elves, roughly 4 million. They live in the autonomous body of Iontachyr which allows them to posses their own unique culture.Aside from elves the second largest recognized population are the humans, a bit less than 16 million. Unlike most regions of the empire the humans are not considered slaves within Fenice, although they are definitely second class citizens at best. In spite of that the promise of freedom did charm humans from other regions to the country even if this slowed down considerably in the recent decades. Aside from wood elves there are two other races who manage to self-govern within Fenice. Zwölfberge is a region of twelve mountain city states ruled by dwarves. While formally part of Fenice they effectively can decide on their own laws so long it doesn't infringe on the guidelines laid out by Fenice or the Imperium. Of course dwarves also live outside Zwölfberge, especially in mining towns or cities. Traveling dwarven merchants are still a reoccurring sight in the country, too. Combining all these there are roughly 4 million dwarves total. The other autonomous region is Ithaké, a rough semi-desert environment dominated by the centaurs. These semi-nomadic people are hard to tame, sticking to their traditions even in this age. On the other hand they are not hostile to Fenician influence and currently 2 million of them exist in Ardensuo alone. Slavery is rare in Fenice, not entirely abolished. It is generally linked to special permits, including debt slaves who are forced to become servants until they could pay back to the owner. Yet there's one significant group whose enslavement is oft forgotten, kobolds and to a lesser extent the goblins. A weak and diminutive species sharing traits of both rats and lizards they were bound to be subjugated by a greater race. No census bothers to count the number of kobolds or goblins within Fenice but estimates are between 20 to 40 million.
Lastly but not least Fenice has some unique residents, fire elementals. Being embodiments of flames they are unable to speak and their existence could be destructive to most things around them. Yet through effort Fenice managed establish a line of communication with them and forge a deal. Since then fire elementals and sun elves live in relative harmony, although their societies rarely interact. Fenice effectively brought them out by offering them better ways to sustain themselves and giving them better habitats. Thanks to that the formerly scarce population of fire elementals grew massively, currently registering over 5000 specimen in just the country alone. Fire elementals of course help Fenice in return in various ways. They assist in magical and scientific research, moderate forges and turbines or even lend a few of their members as soldiers. In spite of the occasional "troubles" associated with fire elementals they overall had a positive effect on Fenice's growth.
Government/Society
To put it in brief the Fenician government is rather unique. At first glance it is a republic with long history. On the other hand it has monarchic ruler for life in the form of the Genitrix whose selection is done through the Violet Hall of Fenice's Dionist clergy, not the people. In a sense this is a dual system where the two sides have influences on different matters. Historically the Senate and the Violet Hall were engaging in non-stop power struggles. This dynamic relationship was solidified upon Yllendyr conquest. The secularist views of dark elves couldn't accept a pure theocratic leadership thus the Senate became the overall governor of the state. They manage the country while the Violet Hall with the Genitrix represents Fenice within the Imperial Court, although they still hold a limited authority over the Senate. Normally this would mean the Genitrix is Imperial Viceroy yet in effect this is a bit more complicated. Rather than Her Holiness the official viceroy is her aide and chief ambassador, appointed directly by the imperial government. This results in the funny situation of the viceroy of Fenice serving both the emperor and the Genitrix, of course with their loyalty swaying more towards the imperial side.This is just the foreign politics portion, of course. Internally the so-called Divine Republic is a federation of numerous autonomous or semi-autonomous states. A group of such states form a Diocles and there are 12 of them including racial autonomies like Zwölfberge (dwarves), Ithaké (centaurs) and Iontachyr (wood elves). Each of the twelve diocleses divide into prefectures (Prefecturas) which of course contain various settlements and a local capital. Speaking of which the capital city Fenizia is also governing the Fenizia prefecture which has authority over the Ignis diocles. The 9 "normal" diocleses have fairly uniform atmosphere. Local differences like the dominant economy, neighbors and the demographics aside it is simple to harmonize laws through them. Racial autonomies on the other hand are like their own little countries. While Iontachyr is gradually adapting to sun elven and now also Yllendyr norms the other two races are far more on the stubborn side. Ithaké itself is the largest diocles and that is because there's barely anything on it. A semi-desert world where a lot of centaurs still live like nomads. As such there's no major push for them. Zwölfberge is the other way around with its highly developed cities and robust industries they can effectively ransom the government into giving them more freedom. Fenice is a complex country and perhaps because of this the Yllendyr chose to minimize their interference on Fenician politics.
Economy/Industry
Fenice's extensive mercantile traditions enabled it to achieve a relatively smooth transfer into the age of corporations and the free market. Unlike their government the Fenician economy is highly centralized and has been for centuries thanks to sitting on a nexus of well-navigable rivers that cross a good portion of the continent. Fenizia in particular is a mammoth of a city, deserving its title as capital with the population surpassing 5 million. Of course sustaining this through waterways alone would be insufficient and while reluctant at first Fenice is now building up a dense railway network. As for agriculture the country has a decent soil albeit not the best weather which results in highly variable production rates. This makes local farmers harder to compete with others on the market, especially when it comes to granary goods and other mass consumption products. On the other hand Fenice has a rich seed oil and sugar industry. Sugar beet and its products makes up some 16% of Fenice's income. As a curious note Ardensuo is actually a terrible land for growing cotton and as such they import raw cotton and often even cotton products from other dominions.Industry-wise Fenice is quite developed. While not competitive in light industries, they made great advancements in heavy industries and technology. Zwölfberge might be not as abundant as the mountains of Vaurgemyr but they are the main producer of Gramasso (tungsten) and they have great expertise at alloy steels. Steam technology is another field that Fenice is proud of, especially turbines where they are considered the leader. The first gas turbine powerplant was made in Fenizia (although with the aid of fire elementals). Internal combustion engines are curiously neglected in Fenice, though. Speaking of engines Fenice has various steam car companies including the now famous Cizeo Ltd. which sold 500 vehicles just last year. Sun faith is powerful in Fenice thus when they had a chance to bring light into the period darkness they immediately jumped on the occasion. As such public lighting is widespread in Fenician cities and even towns, usually provided by local powerplants of various type.
Major Exports: Sugar, tungsten (and alloyed tools/parts), aluminum, turbines, fireworks, electric equipment
Major Imports: Granary goods, cotton, textiles, steel, silver, rare materials
Magic
Like most elves the Calavenyr are born with magic. This does not mean everyone has the ability to become a competent mage but the most elementary spellcasting is almost like a second nature to them. Actually in case of the sun elves this goes beyond as their wild energies have to be periodically released otherwise it could impact their health. Devices to contain this errant power were developed early and nowadays technology which turns this errant magic energy into something more useful is fairly common in Calavenyr households. Magic sticks that can remotely light candles, tea boilers and so forth. Their capabilities are limited and often times replaceable by technological inventions of the time but regardless Calavenyr uses them.True to their name the sun elves of course specialize in plasma magic with at average three quarter of their mages developing such powers. It goes beyond mere affinity, sun elves are obsessed with flames and the raw energy of this magic. To them plasma magic is often associated by their Sun religion, the Dionism. While less popular than plasma the sun elves can develop capabilities to manipulate different planes. Gas being the second most common as a complimentary to plasma while mind plane mages are always sought after for synergistic effects. Solid and liquid magic receive relatively limited attention, although thanks to Yllendyr influences there are three times as many liquid mages in Fenice than it used to be.
Sola Gladia, solblade, solar saber and many other names... they mean the same thing. They are essentially enchanted hilts that can project blades of searing plasma. The ultimate fire sword, you could say. They are the latest evolution of the sun elvish obsession to hit people with the power of their beloved sun. The hilt is somewhat heavy but since there's no physical blade its balance allows it to be swung at great speeds, almost as if the weapon would lack any momentum. Once activated the Solametta pushes out a blade of pure plasma yet normally the said plasma is merely hot rather than capable of causing major harm. It might burn your skin on direct contact but would never kill you. To be lethal you require velocity, the faster you get the hotter these blades could get. A well-executed swing can burn flesh and causes nearby organic compounds to combust. In effect this means the sword can cut through flesh and leave a cauterized mark behind. On the other hand while somewhat uncomfortable the Solametta would be ineffective against metal armor. Rather than cutting through the blade disperses like blowing dust to a hard surface. The solar blade can reform in a second yet such delay could still give an opportunity to counterattack. Speaking of metal contact, duels between a solar saber and a regular unenchanted sword can get fairly awkward. Formless plasma doesn't stop steel while steel won't really stop glowing hot gases, they pass through each other. In such cases no blocking or parrying is plausible. As such there are enchanted swords that remedy this or specially made Solamettae that can clash with regular blades and retain form. In spite of sounding fairly complicated the fundamental principle is fairly simple and based off the behavior of fire elementals. As such for 200 years now sun elves brandishing their solar blade are an increasingly common sight, even becoming the standard sidearm in Fenice to replace infantry sabers.
Military
TBA.
GM
Meiyuuhi Her Divine Grace
Member
Seen
4 yrs ago
My sincere apologies for the necro, but it serves a purpose. If you weren't pinged and are reading this out of curiousity, sorry, this RP as it stands here has been closed for a year, but skip to the bottom section if you're interested.
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@Ahr Xanten@Sigma@Aptrgangr@Skepic@Roby6Com@Cyclone@Grijs@Serpentine88@Willy Vereb@Spindle
I'm writing this post as a notification to you all that:
My current intentions are to revive this RP as a somewhat more character and organization-focused RP, operating in the same world, in which I'll be effectively running most of the national-level aspects of the world.
If you're interested in getting involved in this process at all, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll get back to you with more details and see if we can fit you in.
Many aspects of the old world as it stood in this RP will be reused (since it's not much of a world otherwise). If you wrote stuff for the RP and don't want me using it for anything related to this, just let me know that in a PM and I'll change around names, details and whatever else.
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If you're seeing this RP for the first time because of the post, this effectively serves as an interest check. Hi, I'm Mei, and I'm planning on reviving this concept with a new twist which will be somewhat of a hybrid between NRPing and more normal RP. If you're interested in it, shoot me a PM. This will be my last post related to this in the NRP section.
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@Ahr Xanten@Sigma@Aptrgangr@Skepic@Roby6Com@Cyclone@Grijs@Serpentine88@Willy Vereb@Spindle
I'm writing this post as a notification to you all that:
My current intentions are to revive this RP as a somewhat more character and organization-focused RP, operating in the same world, in which I'll be effectively running most of the national-level aspects of the world.
If you're interested in getting involved in this process at all, feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll get back to you with more details and see if we can fit you in.
Many aspects of the old world as it stood in this RP will be reused (since it's not much of a world otherwise). If you wrote stuff for the RP and don't want me using it for anything related to this, just let me know that in a PM and I'll change around names, details and whatever else.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're seeing this RP for the first time because of the post, this effectively serves as an interest check. Hi, I'm Mei, and I'm planning on reviving this concept with a new twist which will be somewhat of a hybrid between NRPing and more normal RP. If you're interested in it, shoot me a PM. This will be my last post related to this in the NRP section.
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