[OOC] Conflicts of Eae't (Dark Fantasy Nation RP)

The World of Eae't

[Slagar]

Conflicts of Eae't

"You damned fools, you are doomed and you cannot even see the gaping hell before you!" -Imperator Gae'manus, Last Words after the Battle of the Bracken River

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General Information
Conflicts of Eae't (CoE) is a dark fantasy nation roleplay which is set in a northern region of the world of Feaborn called Eae't. This world is based around the later dark age of the region, as rising kingdoms and nations vie for dominance against one another, with betrayal and atrocity around every corner. The world is mostly based around a set of the medieval period, and with it, a mirror of it's politics, societal morality, and cruel brutality both in war and at home. Eae't is a region full of magic, monsters, abominations, and a variety of races, which is for the most part isolated from the rest of Feaborn. The region itself is about the size of Europe, with access to other lands outside being fairly limited at best.
Discord - discord.gg/Nmz6R9A <- Preferred means of contact

Registration

I'm not exactly picky, but please, if you are interested there is only some limited things I wish you to follow. Primarily, be sure to read rules, keep yourself open to criticism if need be, and most importantly, "treat your neighbor as you would yourself." Feasibly, I am looking for 7ish roleplayers with a co-admin to keep things running tight, but realistically with how most of these NRPs go, it can be VERY difficult to keep people without them running off to the next NRP without even having said a single word. There is no real time limit on registration, so its a come in at any time sort of deal, and if you need to take a long break, I am not against it. You will be required to make a nation, but you will only be allowed on the map and get into the rp only once you have FULLY completed your sheet and have it approved. I will be the ultimate decided on who comes into the rp, and before making your sheet, I will require you to mostly read up on lore rules, some actual lore, history, and nation sheet requirements. Outside of the RP, watching a couple decent medieval history vids wouldn't hurt.

Lore Rules

One of the huge issues I took away from another rp I made was that I had been far too lax on certain rules, creating a lull of the general theme, and these lore rules I wish to lay down for those just coming in. This is a medieval fantasy rp, and I'd heavily prefer it that those coming in to put thought into what they make and their empires, cultures, and army composition. These are mostly unspoken rules, and if you wish to challenge them before joining on in, feel free to contact me with a good counter-argument for it.

• Blood Crazed - Nations and factions which exist solely for conquest and sacrifice, forgoing trade, diplomacy, and basic living just cannot exist as a landed faction of any size and is generally just an RP I wish to avoid.
• Aquatic Nations - Nations, races, and factions who live underwater and can still beech themselves on land. This nation only exists to pretty much kill sea based trade, and in virtually invulnerable by the theme's standards without the help of nigh perfect magic. Aquatic nations need to be semi-aquatic, based more so on land, and if not, cannot be highly advanced, highly sentient, or highly magical.
• Hivemind Nations - Nations or factions which have near perfect coercion, immune to negative aspects rather then just more resilient to it. Nations that have fearless troops who do not falter in morale, can recover with perfect morale coercion in undoing a economic crises, or are completely incorruptible.
• Large Pure Nations - Nations which only have one known culture and way of life in spite of its huge size, while bordering various other nations. Cultures can in fact have groupings.
• Hellscapes - Nations living in literal hellscapes which provide perfect excuses for attrition for advancing armies, but to defenders is a source of great wealth and perfect protection.
• Weird Races - Races should be in this world be noticeable humanoid or beastfolk, not being so astonishingly weird and warped that their very existence treads the fabric between sci-fi and high fantasy.
• Infesting Races - Races which 'appear' seemingly anywhere and everywhere without much warning or explanation, be sure if you have a general racial group in a certain area which effects NPC nations or other players, be SURE to contact me or those players to settle things.
• Apocalyptic Empires - Empires designed not be empires, but as tools to cause unnecessary destruction, conquer, or genocide others just for the sake of some vague notions, especially ones under very generic xenophobic or religious reasons without a lot of thought put into it.
• Wall Empires - Empires which are 'mountains' on the map, primarily being lands which no one is allowed to interact with, go through, or war with. These are isolationist empires which never want to benefit from trade through their lands, block land and sea access for other player nations, and remain unaffected by their brutal isolation.

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Lore

Little is known of the world before, and perhaps for good reason it should have remained that way. What is known is that of the lands, Eae't was a paradise which wasn't a blasted desert or a icy grave and came to bore many strange races. The elves appeared in the land as the first kingdoms had first began to form, splitting into various groups and settling many cities for themselves. The greatest of these cities was the elven city of Muhakim, built on the coast of Weskas, which flourished from trade and conquering it's neighbors. The elves of Muhakim were advanced, becoming a center of the bronze trade and the foundations of a great theocracy which sought to spread a now forgotten faith. Muhakim evolved into a great power after the conquest of it's neighbors and reformation of it's armies, spreading rapidly and putting more and more peoples under it's yoke. Yet, as the elves grew drunk in their great victories, in their pride they delved deeply into magic. The last Archon, Xanik Lous'el, had erected great magical towers to help him delve into the mysteries of the land, and what he saw drove him to madness. In this time, the first of the dead, the first of the abomination, and the first of the monster came to walk the world and come from fog and forest. The young Archon started a great civil war, putting the theocracy to death and built a great militaristic empire in it's place.

This empire, known as Muha, conquered vast regions, and committed atrocity after atrocity to complete a goal of the empire's increasing building projects, and over time became drunk on it's own decadence and shallow fear. Eventually, revolts began to wane the empire's defenses and various surrounding nomadic tribes began to push the empire's borders further into ruin. A revolt against the infamous tyrant Gae'manus led to a brutal and unending war against the empire and it's client states, culminating in the Battle of the Bracken River. The battle wiped out a large enough chunk of Muha's armies, leading to invasions and sackings which tore the empire apart and their land divided by barbarous new inhabitants. Not much if anything remains of the empire, and only it's descendants survive in enclaves or in other nations, but for the empire's atrocities, none would claim to be their successor.

Now the clock of the world turns to 988 of the 2nd Age, nearly a thousand years after the destruction of Muha. The client kingdoms have all since changed, but their descendants now yet remain. The conflicts of this time come to a head, as the world teeters to give way to new empires and new kingdoms, and others to fall into the abyss. Monsters and other abominations walk the world, as the cities of Eae't burn and smolder in the fires of war.

Magic and Divinity (Currently Outdated, look to the codex in the IC for current info)

Magic and Divinity

Divinity and Magic

Gods 'kind of' exist in the world, although its better that they are thought of primeval and non-sentient. Gods take on monstrous and barely feasible forms, and most are highly animistic in thought and ideal. To most, they would seem to be a mysterious force in the universe which can create and destroy at a whim, and they are certainly not much of a race of being but rather physical aspects of various powers which mortals believe represent their own personal spiritual identities. These gods are creators, but their involved in the world was extremely limited, and rather act as harbingers of their domains rather then their builders. Gods are not truly evil or good in this sense, but are more like wild beasts which view mortals as microbes and can neither hear, answer, or care for their followers. Gods do not have personalities, and despite getting souls from spiritual pacts made by religion, they view this more as food for their kind to gain strength from without really knowing where it comes from. Gods live in their own little worlds and domains, living on planetary stars which defy laws of conventional reality and shift in and out of existence.

Angelic and demonic beings also exist, but are again, misrepresented by their believers due to little understanding for them. Angels are powerful spiritual beings which are essentially symbiotic parasites which infest living beings which grant them the magic of a god's domain, in both a negative and positive way. Those born of these great magicians made by angelic infestation become Magi, who are born with power. Magi are not as powerful as an infested being in terms of magic, but can learn all forms of magic, which is passed down usually through writing by the infested. Angelic beings die with their host, and 'devour' the host soul along with it, essentially 'adding them' to themselves. However, this process is very difficult for angelic beings and there are not many suitable candidates, and thus the process is extremely rare.

Demonic beings are actual parasites which are more likely exist in the world, but are often at extreme odds with it. Demons are aberrations, beings angelic beings who are mutated so beyond belief that they cannot provide anything to their host. Demons have an easier time entering the world, being weaker and more legalistic then their angelic counter parts. However, demons often devours their hosts, and the more they devour, the more physical they become and the more sentient. Demons however also are often at odds with virtually all monsters and horrible creatures which roam the world, and are in a constant war for their own survival. Most demonic beings do not last long in the world, and must constantly feed off the spirit. Most victims become catatonic and lifeless physically, and their conscious soul suffers what is essentially a second death when devoured and absorbed into a demonic being.

The soul is a real and living thing in the world and is crucial for survival. The soul is a conscious part of the body, and all living things have one, including mundane living things like ants, trees, and mayflies. Souls do not stay in the world unless by special means, and otherwise often move onto the realm of chosen gods, or simply the closest god from the world. Gods attract souls like magnets, absorbing them into themselves. The souls of others split whenever it is born, and is often a juicy attraction for spiritual beings like angels and demons. While the soul is a conscious immortal, that is also the most horrifying of issues. Most souls end up as spiritual slaves to the gods, or end up devoured and their conscious melded eternally into in uncaring mass of some higher being. The worst fate for a soul is being devoured by a demon, or captured by one, which devour souls in order to sustain themselves and thus 'truly killing' another. Demons also like to 'salt' souls through back breaking torture, which can sometimes last in real world time, tens of billions of years.

Magic is relatively rare, and it comes from four known sources; Being infested by an angel, being in an infested's lineage, being granted magic by a god, or gaining magic by transfer. Being infested in the simplest way to earn magic and is the boon for all magic in existence, but its also exceedingly rare. Infested can live longer then other, are stronger, and can perform magic at the highest rate without fatigue. Being in an Infested's lineage is another issue entirely. Only limited magi are produced from a lineage at any given time, and they are in the hierarchy of power the second most powerful of mages. Magi can learn any and all kinds of spellwork provided they can understand it and practice it without accidentally killing themselves with it. While the infested can exemplify one specific domain of magic with the most extreme of power, it is their offspring that can learn all forms of news spells and charms which gives them higher variety.

Magic via gift or transfer is much more difficult and it's rewards are few. Gods are very uncaring and barely sentient, and thus their most devote followers tend to ask for power is vague. Gods who grant power to their followers will do so for odd reasons, usually such as a reward for bringing them a large amount of followers or making an offering which they particularly enjoy to draw their attention, and to the gods this gift is often little more then their divine presence entering the world and drawn to the closest being they can find. These gifts can vary, such as surviving soldiers of a brutal battle suddenly getting magical power from a blood lusting god, or a water god appearing to survivors of floods, mistaking natural events as offerings. Magical gifts are not exactly powerful, and are only bound by singular domains. Magic via transfer is when any magical being decides, usually unwisely, to transfer their power onto another, reducing the quality of their magic and gifting it onto another who could only do a fraction of the magic of their granter.

Enchantment is a tricky issue, primarily because it is difficult for mages, as it requires them to be fully educated in the craft they make, and even then there are limits to this. Mages transfer part of their magic into materials, draining them of their power, but also create highly specific objects which can be of boon for others. However, enchantment can also cause huge gashing wounds from the molding of the transfer into artifacts, and more powerful artifacts often require more mages to do so. Most powerful enchanted items were often done in force and by the work of many mages who had to sacrifice much of their power and livelihood for it, and its a primary reason as to why enchanted gear is never commonplace in the armies of the world. Enchantment can vary, and can be unlimited in power, but are never invulnerable. Enchanted swords still can rot and break if not made correctly, regardless of the powerful enchantments put upon it.

Necromancery and undeath are part and parcel for those in Eae't, and is just a common form of magic like any other. Undead and other automatons are a lot like automated puppets, but there are others which can gain a soul and thus sentience. This process is very rare and limited, but it does happen enough for others to take immediate notice. However, these talking creatures are not trusted, and for the reason is for how they gain a soul, which is usually devouring and re purposing the soul to it's own creation. Essentially, these souls are tortured within their hollow forms till it is reformed into a new being of sorts, and this is done usually at the request of mages or by more advanced creatures which can exhibit this. Specters and other ghosts are fairly different, being more or less souls which had become trapped via powerful emotion or magic to the world, and 'spiritually decay' in the realm till they are devoured by the world itself. Their survival is based either on their own raw emotion or by a physical artifact which grants them continued existence.

Magic can vary, but there are only few known limits as the whole art is rarely recorded well and filled with religious propagandize, but what is generally known to all of Eae't is that time manipulation and resurrection is extremely limited, and so is all of magic itself. One can easily conjure elements easily enough, but complicated spells requires a masterwork of training which has since been lost. Time manipulation for instance is nigh impossible, and resurrection is extremely difficult and must be done swiftly before a body rots. These limitations extend to more powerful spells and abilities, and often requires multiple mages and enchanted foci to perform such tasks. While a singular mage is powerful, these powers do not always extend very well to larger bodies of work and can in fact be very frustrating to cope with.

Magi don't have an internal fatigue with their spell craft, but they do suffer from an overexertion called Mage Rot which causes their weaker mortal body to collapse into itself whenever they over use their magic or try to perform more powerful spells without proper training, equipment, or aid. Mage Rot is a lot like frostbite and is treatable and often starts at vulnerable fingers and toes, but higher overexertion causes the rot to travel through veins in a sickly blue and black glow which afflicts the whole body. Mages have been known to lose fingers, toes, eyes, and noses because of this disease, but more horrifying effects can range from the entire body exploding into a gory mess, or the entire body becoming catatonic.

Codex

Codex

The World

The current year is 988 of the second age, and the world has fully recovered from the Imperium of Muha. The time before Muha is relatively unknown, and much of the world's history covered in legend. Almost 1000 years have passed since Muha's destruction and much has changed, territory and nations have changed greatly. Eae't is home to many races, but is primarily a realm of men and their nations. Most of the people of these lands have suspicions of one another, and a sense of superstition and unease grips much of the land itself. What is perhaps worse is that many parts of the land is ruled not by civilized nations, but by roving bands of monstrous horrors which roam across the known world since Muha's birth. Life is relatively short in Eae't, with conflicts abound between nations and nature.

Technology in Eae't had not advanced very much, in the middle ages of sorts. Gunpowder weapons exist, but are very rare and haven't advanced well at all. Concepts such as national pride and and machines are foreign. Local men are more prideful from the city they come from then with the nation which rules over them. While the common villager and spoiled nobleman may look up to old tales of honor and chivalry as facts of their lives, the dark reality of destructive war is more then ever present, with difficult choice abound.

Game Mechanics

Posting is based around what happens in the nation and characters within, but emphasis on what is happening in and around the nation and it's politics. At the end of every two weeks (hopefully), the time of the world advances by one season, but you do not have to post by a certain time (however, after the end of several months without a post or contact, I will assume to worst)

If by chance I do have to assume to worst, or you decide to leave the RP at any time after you have placed down the nation, it will remain up until you either return to it, but otherwise I will have it placed as an advanced NPC nation.

Me and a co-host of my choice will primarily play as NPC nations and any events happening to them will be at their discretion, unless they are NPCs of your own design. The goal will be that I will fill up the map with more permanent NPC nations at the end of a period and that there is a main story line in the general area, but It will be up to you.

There is no real goal other then to build up a great story in this rp, and if that goal is world conquest, then go for it provided you can be reasonable with it and the consequences that follow. I do expect that when you build a nation, you spend time on it and what will happen within the next 10 years or so in game time, with room for other players and factions.

I am willing to grant limited concessions, with provided explanation for factions, individual characters, mercenaries, religion nations, trade companies, nomadics, and rebel nations. However, in that case, I do expect a more written answer for story and a really good nation sheet of specifics to their plans and lore.

I know it sounds I like have a thousand and ten rules, but please, do not fret about such things. Also do forgive my own mapping stuff and any insistent questions I have.

Terrain Map

Political Map

Nation Sheet

Nation Sheet

Nation Template

Warning: You don't need to be exactly perfect, but I do need this part polished and ready to go. It is likely you will be editing it as you go as your nation expands. This part will take time, believe me, and will require some basic research and maybe a little bit of Microsoft paint trickery. If any part confuses you on this, be sure to contact me.

Name of Nation
Thematic picture, flag, or thematic music or all three.
=-=General Information=-=

• Basically your summary
• Races, religion, government type
• Be thorough but vague
• Currency, language, the basic type of nation it is
• A reasonable population size
• An even more reasonable total army size, 2-5% of the total population basically.
• Status of wealth and espionage, I suppose.
• Like I said, really basic stuff before looking fully into the nation's lore.

Races

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A general overview of the races and ethnicity which exist in your nation, providing a basic overview of the land's inhabitants. Remember, larger nations cannot avoid having only just one ethnicity in it, especially if they come from large conquering empires.

History

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History spanning the last 600-900 years from important events and giving context where the nation is now, giving an overview of rivals, events, and important lessons which make the nation what it is now.

Culture

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Explanation of the nation's culture. Essentially, for my own nations, I tend to have this long list which explains many parts of the general culture; Appearance, Craftsmanship, Traditions, Family, Law, Rights, Entertainment, Views on Slavery, Physiology, Cuisine, Education, and Pets. You don't need a list that extensive, but I do expect effort to be put into what these folks are like, and I do enjoy if you could take it from real world medieval cultures

Military

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Overview of the military, it's style of recruitment, organization, and favored tactics. This is where anything you have for your military and what they will field in their campaign can be read up upon.

Government

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How the government works and who is in charge of what, basically an explanation of how the nation runs itself and who is in charge of what province or who is responsible of what task. No government needs to be perfect, and it can be as cruel or incompetent as it needs to be for your story.

Religion

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Views on religion and what is worshiped in the land, who runs the temples, what are the people's general beliefs and superstitions, and how important they are in the affairs of others. Information regarding festivals and magic may as well go here, but I am not against it being put in a different tab.

Economy

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What resources your nation has, what kind of economy it uses, what is the lifeblood of the country itself? What are the trade and tax policies of the nation, who handles taxes, and what resources are best (or worst) exploited? Information on imports and exports will also go here.

Territory

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Information on your internal territory/states will go here, but it is highly encouraged (but still optional) to make your own internal realm map which provides an easy overlay for folks to read.

Terrain

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Lay of your nation's land and internal states, along with information on any beasts and horrors which prowl it. I've mentioned monsters and horror before, but this isn't exactly fully necessary. The more important information is on important landmarks and their relevance for the nation.

Factions

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Information on internal factions such as rebel groups, internal political groups, mercenary companies, secret orders, public orders, religious orders, and other relevant factions and guilds.

Characters

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This is a page where you place personal information on known rulers and characters likely planned to end up in the RP. Characters don't have to be fully associated with the nation, but do have some association. Any character can be placed here. Just no god modding or weird shit.

[Sigma]

Dathanari Empire

Holy Empire of Dathanar

=-=General Information=-=

• A large Empire situated on the coast of Eusovia
• Although high positions within the Empire are most of the time filled by Elves. Humans, Drimor, Jakai and other races make up large portions of the population
• Like it's Western cousin, Muoarma, Dathanar is an Imperialistic nation
• Those residing within Dathanar are referred to as Dathanari
• Several Languages are spoken in the Empire, the more prominent ones would be Old Eleven by the Nobility and the Imperial Family, and the Common Tongue by the lower class masses, alongside the native tongue still spoken by the many subjects of the Empire.
• Population - 10.5 Million
• Manpower - 200,000
• Status of Wealth - Struggling, but stable
• Espionage - Decent

Races

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Drimor(Beastfolk)


Jakai(Beastfolk)

Conquered some five decades ago. The Jakai are a race of insect beastfolk that call the Southlands home alongside the (Insert human ethnicity here). The Jakai are Matriarchal society centering around the leadership of the Warren Mothers.

Jakai Warrens are settlements that comprise of a lone large Castle-like structure made out of clay, earth and logs. Underneath these fortresses is a small network of tunnels where most of the Jakai reside.
Culturally the Jakai are a cautious people, many not daring to venture beyond the Warren alone, however in recent decades many more Jakai have overcome this ingrained fear and have become more adventurous. Many willingly join the Imperial Auxiliary Corps, others that activity resist the Empire had often found themselves in the free Grovelands with like-minded people.
Mashadi(Human)

Native to the Mashad Isles, the Mashadi people are a dark-skinned folk who pride themselves on their long maritime history, and one of excessive piracy. The Mashadi are a patriarchal society split between a dozen tribes under the leadership of the Tribal Elders. Due to their past of piracy, Mashadi are looked upon with distrust within the Empire, but regardless, their skills in sailing and navigation are a vital asset to the Imperial Navy.

Grovelander(Human)
In the long string of wars with the ever-defiant Grovelands, the Empire had managed to make small gains, and successfully conquered a small part of the Grovelands. Grovelanders are renowned for their care-free lifestyle and easy-going outlook, however, Grovelanders on the Dathanari side of the border have proven to be a great nuisance to Imperial patrols and garrisons, often engaging in skirmishes or petty acts of defiance, Imperial Grovelanders will not rest until they reunited with their free brethren.

Goblin
Native to the Grovelander woodlands, a few isolated goblin camps had settled in parts of the Grovelands that would fall under Imperial control, and for a short while the Goblins had mostly kept themselves, trading with communicating with their fellow Grovelanders. However, once the Imperial Garrison arrived, erecting their fortress using the woodlands as their primary resource, the goblins were all too wiling to assist the Grovelanders in harassing the local garrison.

History

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Rise of an Emperor, 500-588 2nd Age

Culture

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Explanation of the nation's culture. Essentially, for my own nations, I tend to have this long list which explains many parts of the general culture; Appearance, Craftsmanship, Traditions, Family, Law, Rights, Entertainment, Views on Slavery, Physiology, Cuisine, Education, and Pets. You don't need a list that extensive, but I do expect effort to be put into what these folks are like, and I do enjoy if you could take it from real world medieval cultures

Military

Imperial Legions

Legionaries

Evocati

Elven Legionaries are indeed a rare sight on the battlefield. However there exists elite formations within select legions made up of the Elven Evocati. The Evocati are noble-born warriors often held in reserve by Legion Commanders, sent into combat he sees fit or is the situation proves dire enough.

Immortals

Calvary

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[+]

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Government

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How the government works and who is in charge of what, basically an explanation of how the nation runs itself and who is in charge of what province or who is responsible of what task. No government needs to be perfect, and it can be as cruel or incompetent as it needs to be for your story.

Religion

Hider

Views on religion and what is worshiped in the land, who runs the temples, what are the people's general beliefs and superstitions, and how important they are in the affairs of others. Information regarding festivals and magic may as well go here, but I am not against it being put in a different tab.

Economy

Hider

What resources your nation has, what kind of economy it uses, what is the lifeblood of the country itself? What are the trade and tax policies of the nation, who handles taxes, and what resources are best (or worst) exploited? Information on imports and exports will also go here.

Territory

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A local map will go here, with provided information on cities, terrain features, and information on local states will go here. The bare bones minimum for this section will require general information on local territory.

Terrain

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Lay of your nation's land and internal states, along with information on any beasts and horrors which prowl it. I've mentioned monsters and horror before, but this isn't exactly fully necessary. The more important information is on important landmarks and their relevance for the nation.

Factions

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Information on internal factions such as rebel groups, internal political groups, mercenary companies, secret orders, public orders, religious orders, and other relevant factions and guilds.

Characters

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This is a page where you place personal information on known rulers and characters likely planned to end up in the RP. Characters don't have to be fully associated with the nation, but do have some association. Any character can be placed here. Just no god modding or weird shit.

[Helios]

For those interested, this thread is still very much alive in the Discord. 11 active players that have already drawn up locations on the map, collaborated histories, and world built some interesting plot arcs already.

Definitely deserves a click on the Discord link if you want to see Oz behind the curtain.

[Slamurai]

Slapping the latest version (to my knowledge) of Toasty's map here for easy reference.

[Slagar]

I will state that the discord is getting sizable, but likely with some folks with rps an' such, it is mostly active currently. Toast's map will likely be constantly changing as folks join or move on at any rate.

Plan is, I'll start making posts once we have 2-3 full and ready sheets, and we will start the roleplay clock, every half month, the world will continue on by one season, which should give in theory plenty of time to get people's rp stuff in order.

Edit: On the other note, I do plan to release a magic and divinity codex as another project, clear up that part of the lore when I can.

[Tangletail]

A current work in progress.

Tsorosar Empire

=-=General Information=-=
The name roughly translates into "Heir of the Storm"

• An Empire geographically situated over a desert with multiple sub-biomes. Arid Deserts, Penensula's, Rain shadows, and dunes.
• Predominantly Dragonblooded races (Draconians, Kobolds, Half-Dragons). With a minority of humans, dwarves, and beastial races.
• Primary Currency is the Sphere which is backed by gold and platinum. A currency comprised of oblong sapphire colored glass marbles with a chip or cutting of a gem or crystal inside. There are multiple standardized denominations based on the contents. The gem or crystal determines the value. With Quartz often being the lowest and most commonly lived on for citizens. And a sapphire cutting being the highest.
• Secondary is a Steel Coin called a boxing. A steel coin has an embedded golden stamp of the empire's symbol. A boxing is a single denomination used to make large purchases in lieu of carrying large cumbersome sums of spheres. A single boxing represents ten sapphire spheres. This currency is most commonly used for land purchases, trading, payments between lords, and so on.
• 9,900,000
• Military: 4% Career Military
• Wealth: Upper end of Stable
• Espionage: High (Kobolds as the main spying force.)

Races

Draconians

Draconians

Draconians, or Dragonborn as known by some, are humanoid beastfolk with dragon ancestry. And like beastfolks, very much resembles their heritage. They stand tall, between four feet for the smallest subspecies, and seven and a half feet in height for the largest. Tend to have bulkier forms. Many have wings, but only one subset of this race is capable of true flight. They have a hide of scales, and while tough is not enough to prevent a purposeful swing from a sword cutting through. Their scales are representative of the colors of dragons in which they draw heritage from. While capable of reproduction, they are not natural to the world initially. The detail of the races initial origins had been purposefully destroyed, and remains coveted with the hopes of it fading from time. Draconians often have very specific traits, physiology, social behaviors, and temperaments that is related to their scale color. This is largely something that is instinctual and almost always manifests themselves to varying degrees. Because these behaviors are so exact and constant, the Draconians have given each scale color a name.

Aurak: Extremely rare, highly feared and distrusted by their kin. Auraks are the only Draconians who do not have wings. Many, including elves, may often live their lives and never see an Aurak. They are often naturally clever and intelligent. Many tend to become highly talented mages. The personality temperament of an Aurak tends to always sit at the end of personality extremities. They can be highly mentally unstable. They can be completely oblivious of the world. Zealots of Justice. Unusually Cruel. And so forth.

Baaz: Smallest and weakest of the Draconians. And the most common - making the bulk of the draconian population. And the most likely to spread outside of the empire and settle in other nations and lands. Many are also taken by a natural wonderlust. They stand at the average human heights. With the smallest wings. Despite their bulk, they are able to use their wings to build speed when running, making them quite fast and efficient at crossing large distances. These dracos are well known for being gregarious. If any other race is likely to have a draconian for a friend, it is most likely a Baaz. There is a joke among the Draconians about Baaz’s, Two Baaz’s whom are conversing with each other will likely die in that same conversation.

Bozak: Draconians of Bronze color with tints of green along the wings. Their temperament tends to be the closest to humans. However innately, these draconians tends to be natural leaders with other draconians gravitating to them naturally. They are often found as village leaders, politicians, teachers, generals, and captains. They hold a natural charisma, and tend to work from goal to goal to achieve the greater picture.

Kapak: Draconians of Copper Color. They are often the more atheletic and acrobatic of the draconians are are normally found in mountainous or rocky regions of the empire. Other draconians will often describe the Kapak as the most sarcastic, glib, are abrasive people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. It’s not by intentional rudeness. The Kapak, much like the copper dragons, have a love for jokes, truth, and wit. You would not be friends with one if you did not have a thick skin. But you know you’re in for a good time if the court jester happens to be one.

Sivak: Draconians of Silver Color. The second largest, and second most fierce. They have the largest wingspans, and are the only draconians capable of flight. They have been well known to have a personality similar to dwarves. Because of their natural ability of flight. Many are employed as Messengers, and Cartographers. Many more often enter the Military as a Career. And will be employed as Scouts, Outriders, Skirmisher, Flankers, and Vanguard.

Alethi: Draconians of Red Color: The most notable feature of them is that the Alethi are the fiercest, most aggressive, and most competitive of the draconians. There is a joke with merit that the best way to make friends with an Alethi, is not by a “How do you do”, but to call them a gecko and punch them in the face. They are the largest of the draconians with the smallest height being six feet. Their natural ferocity and sense of competition often makes many of the glory seekers. Some set out to become adventurers, many go into the military as shock troops, and even mercenaries. If they become craftsmen, tradesmen, or merchants there is guaranteed to be extreme competition and aggressive marketing.

Skaa: Draconians of Blue Color: These draconians have the most flexible wings and second largest wingspan, often disproportionate to their height. While not capable of flight, they tend to have a natural talent of riding the winds. With a strong enough gust of wind, they can sail for long distances. Their most common temperament is patient and polite but also prone to jealousy and envy. It is very difficult to rouse a Skaa’s anger, but even then it is often controlled. The Skaa takes honor and oathes very seriously, and have an extreme distaste for lies. A Skaa’s pride, vanity, and honor are their lives, and will become incredibly distraught if it is tarnished and will usually seek means of redemption. From duels, achieving incredible goals, to even commiting suicide if their shame is great enough. That being said, Skaa tends to be loyal to whatever faction they devote themselves too. And will be the most common draconian found in knighthoods, or paladin orders.

Blanc: Draconians of White Coloration: The only warmblooded draconian, these draconians are highly adaptable to many environments, and including the cold. Unfortunately, these draconians can be described as mentally the slowest of all draconians. Their intellect is below average. And while not bumbling idiots, they tend to be very gullible. They are not very good at thinking or making decisions. As a defensive trait to being tricked, they would often leave all decisions to someone they trust. Because of their dependency on someone they trust, they are often found as servants, close friends, or lovers with others and rarely leave their sides. They are also surprisingly emotionally expressive. Despite their addled minds, they actually have the most superior memory of the draconians. Though this expands mostly to things they deem important, and they lack the brain power for many abstract concepts such as sarcasm or synonyms. If a Blanc were to become a librarian, they would be able to remember every detail about that library. The number of books. Who has borrowed a book. Who has a late book. The contents of a book word per word. The exact location of an exert inside an obscure book.

Kobolds

Kobolds

Kobolds are another type of beastfolk. They originally hail from the unknown lands, and primarily found within the Tsoroshar empire. They are often highly underestimated across the world. Which is not surprising as many adventurers describe them as cowardly weaklings when sharing stories in taverns. This however, is a smoke screen to prevent the larger world from threatening their tribes and learning the deadly truth: that though diminutive, kobolds are as vicious and vengeful as the dragons to whom they claim ancestry. These creatures are meticulous, highly organized, sophisticated, industrious, and inventive. A Kobold’s cleverness is often their deadliest weapon. Whats more, they are hardwired for survival through and through. These heterothermal creatures have an outstanding number of adaptations that allow them to survive in most conditions as long as there’s food, water, and air. And though they are weak, they often lack a natural predator. Like their draconian cousins, each color of Kobold tends to have certain personality traits that resembles the dragons they take lineage from.

Black Scales: Many of kobolds of this color can be found in swamps and mires. They are very capable in the art of stealth and silent swimmers. Many of these kobolds also enjoy keeping Oozes as pets... much to the chagrin of the other kobolds. Morality tends to be an alien concept to them, and fails to believe in good and evil. They are described as cruel and sadistic, but the kobolds do not quite see it the same way. They see results, and will do what ever gets them. These kobolds often enjoy Fermented and pickled foods.

Blue Scales: These kobolds are orderly and neat, and have a deep respect for hierarchies as well as organizations of honor. They are extraordinary schemers and planners. Capable of brutally effective ambushes, traps, and tactics. Though many often fall short in the skill of improvisation. More interestingly, blue scale kobolds can mimic the sounds and voices of creatures they have heard. They have a love for art, beauty, and music.

Green Kobolds: These kobolds are at home when surrounded by foilage. Like their green cousins, they are naturally great hunters and trackers, as well as practiced in the arts of shamanism. Of all kobolds these tend to be the most tolerant of non-draconic races and have been known to guide lost travelers to safety - often in secret.

Red Kobolds: Fierce and Competitive, these kobolds respect power. A tribe of red will gladly accept the patronage of any whom they deem worthy. Even if they themselves are unimpressive. They are often described as the work horses. More well built, and with a better constitution.

Gold Scales: These kobolds have a love for knowledge. They are well known for hording a vast assortment of books, or recording events of history in secret. The rarest of the race, these kobolds are most commonly found in the empire's grand library. Where their service as a scholar's assistance can be purchased.

Silver Scales: The friendliest, and most social of the kobolds. These kobolds often seek friendships with humanoids. And tend to keep friendships with multiple generations of that friend's family long after they pass. This behavior also leads to these kobolds acting as servants to the nobility, knighthoods, and orphanages.

Bronze Scales: Most commonly amphibious in nature. These kobolds have a love for the sea, and will make their colonies near the ocean, under the sea in caverns with pockets of air. Or will aquire large boats and spend the rest of their lives on the sea acting as traders.

Brass Scales: These kobolds enjoys stories and tales from travelers. Wild tribes have been known to creep closer and eaves drop near campfires when a tale is being told, or a song is being sang.

Copper scales: These kobolds love heights and mountainous regions. They are very atheletic and are capable jumpers. Like the Kapak, they are well known for their abrasiveness and sarcasm.

Racial Makeup percentage:
Kobold: 40
Draconian:40
Human: 10
Dwarf: 5
Beastfolk: 5

History

Year ???-155: The Color of Trust

Much of the past histories of the land that bears the Tsoroshar empire has gone up in flames, and destroyed. But what is known is the era of the Draconian uprising in the vast deserts of the Sea of Glass.

Few remember the origins of the Draconians. Reportedly, they were discovered by the Muha Elves whom had completely enthralled them with their way of life. The superior technology the Muha elves held, healing practices, rituals, and their magic had brought a measure of great fear and reverence into the Draconians. The elves, seeing a potential resource had used these amendities to further enwrap and vassalize the Draconians with promises of a better and fulfilling life.

Through many years, the Draconians were conditioned to unconditionally love and serve their elven overlords. The elves sought to it that the Draconians revered them as just short of gods. And perhaps more, as gods whom were powerful beings were only tangible in imagination. Where the elves were tangible in reality. And what the elves held, though not nearly as impressive, was also very real.

As part of the Muha society, the Draconians were among the lowest cast. They were slaves, though their knowledge of it was masked by laced promises and dreams. They were primarily used as a means of Labor, and of course as shock troops for the harsh reality that the Sea of Glass held. While the Muha inhabbited the desert, there were still a race of feral beastkin that were not nearly as impressed as the faithful draconians. And the Draconians had fought and died in the Muha Elves name and to protect their way of life.

However, with time, the Elves had made several mistakes and lasps in judgement. The Draconian's gradually grew aware of what was being done to their people.

The Elves, seeing a resource in the hardyness, strength, aggression, and intelligence in the draconians had felt reason to fear them.

Through the years of conditioning they had also been working to control their population. With scheduled breeding, controlled separation of males and females. And of course shattering unscheduled draconian eggs after telling them "Trust us to do what is best." And that they were to bring forth all unapproved eggs for destruction.

There were also multiple clans of Draconians that had completely disappeared. The occasional traveler would find their small village eerily inactive. But on closer inspection they found that many of the Draconians appeared to have died from disease. The scent of elves had lingered like a stinking perfume, but the elves openly denied involvement.

The next few generations of Muha Elves after the first that the Draconians had seen were not so careful as their ancestors. Where the first had entranced the Draconians into servitude with honeyed words. The next generations of elves had openly abused this trust and gradually disillusioned the Draconians of the promises and revealed them for the lies they were.

When the demands for what was promised began to rise from the Draconians, the elves continued to diplomatically dodge the demands. Their words had bought them time, and appeased the instinctually aggressive draconians for some time. But the effectiveness quickly began to fade.

Eventually, the final mistake was made. The Elves decided to use a display of force to remind the Draconians of their superiority. They had turned magic and weapon onto the rabbling crowd and began to kill.

While such a tactic would normally work on any other race forced into servitude. The Elves had forgotten a few key details about the Draconians in their arrogance.

First, the Draconians are warlike and are naturally aggressive. Violence is met Violence, and comes as ferociously as a passing huricane.

Second, not all Draconians could grasp the concept of magic. But many understood that it was limited to the caster's physical condition. And even then, the time it took to put an arrow into the mage's eye was probably faster than the time it took to utter the first syllabul of a killing spell.

Third, While the race of draconians had their population heavily reduced to something managable, They had only feared possible insurgence from males. And had completely forgotten that females shared very few anatonical and visual differences from their male counter parts. And in fact, have been known to commonly show a level of aggression far more extreme than the male counter parts. A detail the elves may have known, if they had attempted to collect the eggs for destruction themselves.

Needless to say, the elves were expecting the Draconains to be subdued the next day. Instead they were greated with a tidal wave of horrifically enraged scaled warriors, averaging two-hundred pounds eac, armed with claws, teeth, tail, stones, stolen spears, stolen bows, and what ever they could get their hands on.

The streets of Elven cities ran with thick blood. Great pillars of smoke flooded the skies for days. The elves who could not flee fell prey to the brutality that had awaited them. There was no intent for enslavement, no intent for ransome, no compromise. The mercy was death in those last moments of their lives. And that was it.

These events have became known among the Empire as the Color of Trust. A tale which bards occasionally sing of as a historical reminder.

Color of Trust; A Bard's song

Give me your trust, said the Muha's cry.
On my shoulders I support the sky.
Trust me to know and to do what is best,
and I will take care of the rest.
But trust is the color of a dark seed growing.
Trust is the color of a heart's blood flowing.
trust is the color of a soul's last breath.
Trust is the color of death.

Give me your trust said the dignitary's crone,
for I must bare this burdon all alone.
Trust me to lead, to judge, to rule.
And no one will think you a fool.
But trust is the sound of a grave dog's bark.
Trust is the sound of a eggs broken in the dark.
Trust is the sound of a soul's last breath.
Trust is the sound of death.

Give us your trust said their promises and lies.
A promise of peaceful and prosperous lives.
Trust our compssion will reign pure and true.
A king dom forged with joy and glory through and through.
But trust is the scent of a rotting village.
Trust is the scent of a breeder's stillage.
Trust is the scent of a soul's last breath.
Trust is the scent of death.

Give us your trust said my Master and Mistress.
To grant you protection and peel you from distress.
Trust us to heal you and bring you into our prosperous lives.
Now show us difference, and lower your eyes.
But trust is the touch of the bull whip's bite.
Trust is the touch of blade from another's fight.
trust is the touch of soul's last breath.
Trust is the color of death.

Give me your trust said the love of my life.
To have and hold, through joy and strife.
Trust me to love you with heart and soul.
For it can not be separated, till death takes its toll.
But trust is the taste of a broken mother's tears.
Trust is the taste of the words from the elven seers.
Trust is the taste of a soul's last breath.
Trust is the taste of death.

155-180 The beginning of early feudalism

Once the elven overlords had been tossed out, the draconians had began to regroup back into tribes whom were fixed in place. Though there were some who had seen a benefit in practices used by the elves, and began to set up systems of feudalisms. Tribes of draconians were absorbed into multiple different feudal states of many different sizes.

During this time, Draconians have also adopted Kobold tribes into these feudal states in a symbiotic relationship. Promising protection and prosperity in exchange for their subterranean architectural skills, and natural tenacity for work. Learning from the Kobolds, and past elven constructions, the draconians began to learn how to build permanent structures both above ground and below ground. As well as experiment further to improve their way of life towards prosperity.

180-712 The Forging of the Empire

Many different feudal states have risen and fallen during this period. Some states had collapsed from critical failure, by the lack of proper resources, or from destruction of fauna and infighting. While others have been absorbed by more stable feudal states.

Eventually, a single Skaa draconian who had became known as the Storm Lord - born on the day of an unusual coloration of lightning - had risen and sought to forge the Tsoroshar Empire. He had succesfully taken several feudal states, and forced them to bend to his will through military might. He had died from old age, and his son had taken his place. The offspring had set forth the current culture of the empire as he walked through his father's legacy from Natan to Uri, unknown to his subject, with not much more than a single waterskin, a black veil, and a cloak.

Several generations have passed before finally the Empire has reached the size it is now today.

712-870 The Cultural Reform

During this period, the Tsoroshar faced stability problems. Draconians were naturally aggressive, competitive, and frequently sought an outlet. It was not uncommon to see civil wars pop up. Though instead of the wars being directed towards the government, it'd be villages and cities facing off on one another. And entire villages had been dismantled in such acts.

The Empire had sought a means to remedy this, and began a revolution to the draconian culture. Much of the draconian's old ways were maintained. But rather than focusing souly on survival, the draconians were encouraged to procure other means of competition. Originally, this did not pick up. But it did not take very long for two draconians to start fighting over one another's skill in some artisan task. Sculptures, Glass blowing, paintings, tapestries, began to pop up like wildfire. The desire for trading also began to grow as merchants began to discover that to better compete and best their competition importing goods for foreign locations would attract more customers. And so forth.

Several Provinces had disappeared during this time. Not by force of arms. But from the attempt of an early form of a representative government. The desire for competition in the draconians had caused this system to collapse immediately as riots broke out in the streets. These failed provinces had been absorbed, and the caste system had been established across the entire province. It greatly discouraged such fearce competition, but not qwell it fully. As the system had established an early form of a meritocracy.

870-880 The Troll War

A special breed of beast like troll exists in the Badlands. Originally thought to have been utterly destroyed in the days of their elven overlords, the Draconians have waged war against the trolls once again and have began to beat them back and burn them out. Towards the end of the war, search and destroy parties sweeped the areas to ensure that all body parts of the trolls had been adequately destroyed. Cave systems that acted as their homes were either burned out or collapsed.

970 - Attempts to Improve Relationships with Gu-Wei

Under the rule of Empress Thubia, The Sapphire star, the Empire had began to patch relationships with their northern neighbors. Decedents of the old Muha empire.

Culture

Clothing

Due to the warm and hot climates of the empire, clothing is usually kept to the bare minimum of what is needed to be functional while preventing overheating or fatigue from the heat or protection from the sun. And in some locations of the empire, protecting from abrasive dust storms. Clothing design is designed in a way where the material is thin to allow air flow should it cover large portions of the body.

Or if the clothing is thick, it often has many different strategic openings. around the pits, the inner thighs, the chest, deep collars, no sleeves, and so forth. These openings are created in many different methods. Absence of material creating large holes or non-existing parts. Asymmetrical designs, where an entire section of clothing can be missing. A wicker like weaving with thick bands of chord formed from leather thongs or rigid wool. Or perforation.

The common civilian will often employ very utilitarian clothing that is cheaply afforded. Ranging from the use of breach clouts, skirts, drapings.

With the more well off citizens and nobility, there is a culture of fashion that is evident. Fashion in the empire is often a mixture of form and function that plays with the eyes and makes use of the note just above. Note that for an article to be considered fashionable in the empire it must not only be visibly appealing, Simple in design, but also be quite functional and simple to use.

Below is a fashionable Kobold. The leggings are Chausses, and the gloves are Bridal Gauntlets.

Art Credit to KritKobold.

Much of the Empire's sense of fashion is inspired heavily from outside influences, or from soldier attire.

Common articles of clothing in fashion are...

Chausses: A pair of leggings originally derived from use in armor and mounted leg protection, chausses shares a similar appearance to chaps. They can be made out of any durable material that holds shape well like wool. The defining appearance of this article is that it is two separate leggings with a tight fit under the knee. The groin, the inner thigh region half way down are cut out. A rear section is rarely included. But sometimes it exist as a flap of fabric tied to the tail, or for human modesty to cover the posterior. Humans most wear additional clothing for modesty. The upper leg region tends to bulge outwards near the knee and tightens as it goes up to the thigh, and finally attaches to a belt that holds the leggings in place.

The Havah: The Havah was a feminine garment that existed in one of the many nations the Empire had consumed in it's expansion. Originally, it was a robe like dress with an asymmetrical design. The right sleeve could be completely missing or cut at varying lengths but never past the wrist. While the left sleave always extended far past the left hand called "The safe hand". It was a hand that was always covered out of modesty and is considered as shameful as full nudity to expose it. This sense of modesty has been lost with the destruction of the nation that created it. The garment fascinated the empire's civilians and it was quickly adopted into fashion by both females and males. This single feminine garment has also inspired a movement to cover up the left hand with gloves or sleeves. The basic design ideology has remained the same with time. But the styling has seen massive changes. Within the nobility, the Havah is often made of multiple parts featuring bright billowing cloths, sashes, waist wrappings, and so forth.

Bridal Gauntlets: A foreign article of clothing that was introduced to the empire through a seasonal event it holds. The monster hunting event invites contestants of all nationalities, along with merchants, and people who wish to view the events from the many different viewing platforms setup in the uncharted lands. It was during this event it was spotted, and was well received. Within the month these gloves had been wide spread. Bridal Gauntlets are usually made out of some sort of cloth material that can hold it's shape well. They are similar to finger-less gloves, but stretches completely up the forearm and halfway up the bicep. They often have many different designs, but the most popular are tightly fitting designs.

Wide Brimed Hats: Wide Brimmed hats are a common item of fashion. And represents the ultimate cross between form and function to the empire. It's popularity was a result of the Kobold populace. Many of the Kobolds have severe sensitivity to light, and find the sunlight completely unbearable. A common form of eye-protection was a cowel like drapery that fitted over their eyes and part way down their muzzles. Unfortunately, not all kobolds can comfortably secure these in place as it had a dependency of horns. Which not all kobolds had a sizable length of. It was an enterprising Human merchant who had gotten horribly lost and managed to end up five months past his destination that had introduced the kobolds to these hats. Not only did it help block direct sunlight but it also acted as a means to assist in securing the cowl. The human left a rich man, and the wide brimmed hat became a popular staple.

Harness: Another instance where a piece of military equipment had garnered popularity. The harness is a set of straps originally designed to assist in the mounting of a soldier's splint mail to their body. As in many cases an Aketon was not worn due to the heat and a draconian's scales being thick enough to not chafe and act as a lesser gambeson. When soldiers were off duty or relaxing, they'd often roam around with just the harnesses on. As they also served as a good means of holding a large amount of items. Over time, the harness has evolved into many different eye catching designs, with the origional function remaining or being enhanced. Fashionable harnesses often includes a breach clout, kilt or wrappings of cloth.

Cadin'Sor: The Cadin'Sor "Working Clothes", roughly translated, was originally the Empire's Cadin'dai "Battle Dress" in its years of creation. It is a uniform of sorts that had fell out of use for years and have resurfaced in popularity for civilian and official use. Despite the name, it is not used by the common populace, but is used in slight variations by hunters, trappers, desert rangers, scouts, highway patrols, and bandits. The clothing often consists of loosely fitting earth tone shirts, vests, and leggings best suited for the race employing them. There is also a head wrapping and a veil used to cover the wearer's face and protect them from the glaring sun as well as prevent sand from being inhaled. Soft and laced boots made of leather are worn and usually extends up to the knee and folds over. A sash is often used with many different color variations. However, red is reserved for military use. And dark green for Rangers and Wardens. Wearing either of these colors without proper identification will often result in an execution under the assumption of being a highwayman. The styling of clothing assists the wearer in staying cool while also providing the ability to easily hide among the sands and rocks of the desert.

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Class System

The Tsoroshar empire has a very strict class system that can be split into three separate parts. With each part having several smaller parts. Synondairshar and Aeshar both have ten ranks in them called "Siveh". The lower the number of the Siveh, the higher they are above others.

Syondaishar - Often called The Blood. The title translates into by 'Birth and Glory'. Those who exist in this class are of the nobility. By the translation it can be inferred that this class is awarded by inheritance, or awarded by glory. Those of the blood of at least the sixth siveh can elevate those of the Aeshar into the blood by purposefully tearing a scale free and dropping it at the targets feet. Or if scales are not possible, the right most finger nail on the right hand.

The Siveh of the blood is openly displayed through a variety of means. The most common, is a marking of appendages or bodily accessories up to the count of ten. Claws and Nails are often lacquered with a color of their choosing. Evens on the left hand, odds on the right. In some cases, spines along the facial ridges are used. And in others, horns are painted with bands of color. Those of significantly higher status will usually not directly speak to someone who is far below them. And instead will employ the use of a voice. It is forbidden to look a member of the blood who is higher than you directly in the eye unless otherwise told so.

All dragons, regardless of allegiance to the empire are treated as the second siveh. Placing them just under the emperor.

Aeshar - The Citiziens. The title translates roughly into "The Blood of All". This class is most commonly made up of contractual slaves, penal slaves, commoners, merchants, tradesmen, and soldiers. Unless otherwise stated, it is forbidden to look a member of the blood in the eye. The most common siveh in this class, is of the Sixth Siveh. This is a grouping normally given to all civilians born inside the empire. With greater citizenships being inherited or awarded to the family. This grouping is where the full rights of citizenship is awarded.

Falling to the seventh or lower siveh often means that the family or individual has made a great mistake. These lower sivehs are used for prisoners, contractual/penal slaves.

Da'Covele - True Slaves. The title translates roughly into "Those who are property". This class is a mixed bag. In some cases, it is considered to be a great honor to be made a Da'Covele. In other cases, it is used as a grave punishment far worse than execution. It varies from position to position. All legal rights are revoked. However, these slaves are rarely abused.

There are several examples for when this is a severe punishment. When used as a punishment, the position often results in merciless and severe abuse. Many times, these slaves will not be allowed to do productive work. And instead or forced to do meaningless tasks that can be quite dangerous.

• A member of the blood can be sold as a Da'Covele for the cost of a great dishonor or failure, where they are not permitted the honor of death to avoid personal embarrassment.
• A Traitor of State will often be sold as a Da'Covele.
• Failure to hold to a powerful oath given to the Emperor's Service.

There are several examples for when this is considered a great honor. These slaves are well cared for, and never abused. The positions of the voice and the herald grants the unique "Right of Truth" which permits the slave to humble their master and patrons with complete immunity, as long as they speak the truth.

• When being purchased as a Voice. You are permitted to look your master in the eye, and speak for your master directly to subjects whom would normally be higher than yourself.
• When being purchased for recognition of their beauty or appearance being pleasing to the eye. These slaves often wear shear near translucent silks that hide little on their bodies. When these slaves master dies, they often commit suicide to follow service into death.

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Laws and Rights

There are a set grouping of laws farmed directly by the Imperial Family that are active across the entire empire. These laws are the most obvious and basic laws that ensures loyalty, and of course minimizes the most extreme crimes.

Each province has their own laws and punishments. Such as prohibitions against gambling, limitations to sentient-life trafficking, definitions of murder, definitions of when petty thievery becomes considered large scale. And so forth.

And finally there are rights and privilages created by the empire that can be revoked.

The Right of Travel: The right of travel gives citizens of the most basic rank the ability to move freely within the borders of the empire. No border within the empire may turn them away. This gives who are at least of the Sixth Siveh of the Aeshar cast or better the ability to leave their lord, and allows them to save themselves should the Lord fall and be consumed by local politics. This right is also lost when a citizen becomes a soldier, but is restored when they retire from service.

The Right of Training: Most citizens of the empire are given the right to an education for any one profession. A lord may not force a citizen into a profession outside of a lottery of necessity.

The Right of Challenge: The Right of Challenge is usually exclusive to the Blood. However, those of the Aeshar caste are able to make an appeal to a higher figure to take the right to challenge a lord, if the lord in question did not originally accept it. This allows citizens and lords a chance of justice against someone whom had wronged them, if the law for what ever reason prevents that individual from being touched.

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Famed Artistry and Styles

A by product of the emperor's own unique eccentricities... these practices have spread across the empire in a tidal wave. Many of those in the empire have a fascination for art and fashion.

Articles of clothing were often made of silk, and wool and vary from simply utilitarian to beautiful depending on status.
Delicate sculptures of sandstone, stone, and granite can be found decorating many of the Cities. And much sturdier bulkier sculptures can be found along the roads. These sculptures also serve as a function for windbreakers when the seasonal high-storms come and go.

Glass is also a common medium for art. Artist will often dye their glasses by mixing various metal powders into their work while it is still hot. And even an abstract form of art has rose involving the use of colored shattered glass often of sapphire, ruby, or earth tones. This came into popularity for the Emperor's beautiful scales, and of course the capital of the empire which sits in an area called "The Sundered Planes". A series of sandy peninsulas ravaged by seasonal storms. When viewed from a high vantage point, it looks like a beautiful mosaic of shattered glass.

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Language and Accent

The official and National langauge of the empire is Draconic. The language spoken by dragons and their decedents. Originally, the language did not have a written form. As dragons often do not feel the need to write things down. Their loyal servants, the Kobolds were the ones who had formed the written language.

In writing, the language is a set of precise ideograms formed by simple strokes and very few long flowing ones. Unfortunately, the language was created by kobolds. Creatures who form complex and winding, confusing tunnel systems. Creatures with an incredible sense of direction. Creatures who find safety in complexity. This means that the language its self is a convoluted mess of patterns and shapes that strains the untrained eye. Worse yet, is the written language is region dependent for those who spent only a short time to learn the language. Too many, the language is a cryptographer's inspiration. To kobolds it's just simple writing.

For sanity's sake. The empire's chosen written language is the language of traders "Common". However, mostly draconian and kobold communities will usually default to draconic. Common is added to signs as well.

The accent of the empire is very distinct. And has even found its way into the tongue of the resident minorities. When common is spoken, the accent takes the form a very slow slurring drawl. Words are said in a manner that almost sounds like the individual is speaking huskily under there breath.

Any time their emperor is directly mentioned, the empire's citizens will always unconsciously add "may he live forever" directly after the word before continuing on.

Over time, the language of draconic has evolved into it's more modern state. The language does not often have a word for everything, so usually concepts like a uniform is created by description and combinations of words. "Cadin'Dai" Roughly translates directly into Battle Dress. Cadin meaning Clothes/Dress and Dai meaning battle. Cadin'dai is a Military uniform. The language also borrows specific words from other langauges.

"Tai'shar" is a greeting phrase used as a good omen of respect. It is most commonly used among warriors, rangers, and the like to refer to a fellow warrior. Enemy or Not. "Tai" Meaning True, "Shar" meaning blood. "Tai'shar, Gu-Wei" means "True Blood of Gu-Wei".

"Los nor, Shen da Jaboera! Carai an Tsorovan’m’hael! Tsorovan’m’hael!" - "Rend forth, Blue Fang! For the honor of the Throne of Tempests. The Throne of Tempest!" The Warcry of Vaalteralde the Kobold. Mercenary Captain of the Band of the Blue Fang.

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Architecture

Due to the lack of lumber in the desert, the heat, and frequent storms, the architecture of the empire has evolved in reflection of this. The empire's various cities and towns sports a mixture of deep subterranean chasm cities, and above ground cities with a heavy focus on verticality.

The primary building materials in the overground are bricks, tiles, and cement. Bricks are often made of sandstone, but richer locations can also be crafted out of granite. Impurities are added to the sandstone during the shaping process to add color. Rust is often used for the color of red, mica is used for white, and so forth. Structures created with cement are usually sweeping shapes designed to allow the wind to easily blow around and over the structures during high storms. And often enough, simple homes are often fashioned out of bricks in stretched triangle shapes to break the winds and divert them away.

Overground sectors of cities tend to be difficult to find as the favored location for their constructions are within plateaus that act as natural barriers to the high winds, as well as provide shade to the city during large sections of the day. The cities also tend to be a bit difficult to navigate, as they prefer a verticality construction over spreading out. The verticality structure of the cities will often bring many of the roads onto rooftops several stories high.



The more obvious cities are built near oasis, rivers, and sections of the desert where vegitation is high.


All major above ground cities have an underground sector to them. And these underground cities can exist on their own without an overground pairing. There are various gates and means to enter the underground city through stair wells. These cities are often mined out, or make use of pre-existing tunnel systems. Various ventilation systems are added to help cycle air. And the empire cities make use of glass, lenses, and mirrors to redirect natural sunlight into large chambers and warrens. This sunlight is then diffused by massive chandeliers to help scatter the light and provide natural illumination. While it is not needed by draconians, lanterns are hung and lit in strategic places to reduce the clutter, and to enhance the beauty of the craftsmanship.

Rather than introducing foreign building materials, a large majority of these underground cities will be carved directly from the stone. dwellings, and chambers are carefully drafted, roughed out, and carved into beautiful shapes featuring arches, arcades, curves, steps, and what ever else is needed. There are very few attempts made to keep the natural appearance of the caves. As tunnels are usually wide open, and various carvings are made into walls to provide aesthetically pleasing textures and to help diffuse sound and reduce echos. Walkway tunnels are often wide, and are paved with polished material.

Small hidden tunnels are peppered throughout these massive chasms. Large enough for kobold use only. These are often used as highways by the smaller draconids. These tunnels are used for various reasons, as maintenance shafts, highways, and passages to private dwellings if the kobold prefers isolation or to stay with kin. But the primary reason for these small tunnels are for defenses. If the under city is invaded, attacking armies will find themselves harassed from all fronts. Above, behind, on either flank, and in the front by draconian forces.

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Views on Other Races and Cultures

The overarching view of other culture's and races is mixed. The Tsoroshar Empire often find themselves respecting warrior like races and civilizations, or civilizations revolving around craftsman. And more interestingly, should there be conflict with Dwarves and the Draconians, the dracos would find the conflict oddly companionable.

For humans, respect is come and go. They see many of the humanoids (Humans, Dwarves, Elves, Halfings, gnomes, etc) as frail creatures. The soft skin, lack of scales, anatomy, tends to baffle the predominantly draconian empire. And even become a general curiosity. The lack of androgyny is also found alluring. When not seeking romance, a sizable sum of draconids often seek a night with other races. A practice that isn't frowned upon, but is often met with jealousy.

Muha Elves, however, are met with a rage and scorn that transcends mere xenophobic hate. But a blood grudge that reaches back to the time of the empire's creation. Where other cultures merely hate, the draconians would desire their annihilation, and happily be the bringers of it too. Because of this, all elven activity inside the empire is heavily limited and regulated. Including non-Muha. Out of safety, and out of hatred. Elves are disallowed citizenship, and even entry into the country without significant reason. An armed escort must accompany elves who enter the lands at all times, and must redirect the elves back to the border when the period of their stay is over.

And because of the high Kobold population, Gnomes are advised to take caution when entering the empire's borders. They will be provided an armed escort, namely in the protection of the gnomes. For the kobold's hatred can approach unreasonable levels where personal safety is no longer a concern. And may actively seek to lynch the gnome no matter the cost.

Military

The Tsoroshar Empire largely relies on Conscription from empire citizens to serve, and almost never outside sources. Despite the average wages, a large contingent of citizens do conscript willingly into the army out various desires other than pay. Many are often short term, with the briefest desires of adventure and glory. While many others stay and form a career of ten years or more.

Armies are often managed by the individual provinces of the Empire, with their main loyalty being to the empress first and their lords second. Squads of each army are often rotated out to act as policing unit for each province, patrolling roads and city streets, manning garrisons, and keeping the peace. Each army is also often used in border skirmishes between provinces. Largely due to the natural aggression that exists in most Draconians. Unlike actual wars, these battles are often suffer reduced losses, certain weapons of war are not employed. And Cities, villages, and citizens remains unthreatened. Border Skirmishes are often for competition of resources from one house to another. Or simply to weed out the week. The soldiers, despite going against their own, are well known for taking sport in it.

Outside of this, Armies are often rented out to other countries and nations as contracted mercenaries. These mercenaries are directly managed by the Empire, and are honor bound to the terms of the negotiated contract. The contract ensures payment, and protection to the mercenaries in times of war. While also guaranteeing certain elements of their behavior to the client. The contract can prevent or limit looting, pillaging, and other nefarious acts that mercenary companies often display.

The Tsoroshar's Military largely shines in their power as an infantry. An encounter infantry to infantry with the empire will often be found to be largely unpleasant for the opposing forces. Due to their mounts being difficult to train, calvary tactics aren't used nearly as much as other armies. And they are usually at their weakest in battles of attrition against walled or garrisoned armies. Easily disheartened at the idea of needing to mindlessly throw thousands of bodies into killing fields and dying without a proper fight.

Weapons

The Empire soldiers employ various weapons, and leans towards several favorites which are listed listed here.

The Ashandarei - The Sword Staff
The name quite literally means the "Sword and Spear" in draconic. The Ashandari is a polearm employing the combination of a quarterstaff, and a blade at the top. It is often confused with the Gu-Wei Naginata - which can be called a close cousin. Like the Naginata, the quarterstaff is made to be oblonged shape to allow for edge alignment in motion. Unlike the Naginata, the staff is not curved. And the blade often closely resembles the more common short sword. Complete with a sword's hilt under the blade. The blade is most commonly single edged with a curved cutting edge. The secondary edge usually only reaches a fourth of the way down the blade to allow for optimized thrusting. Other blades can be attached as well depending on the need of the user.

The Ashandarei offers a unique mixture of defensive capabilities with the hilt and extended range and reach. The length enables it to be very effective at fighting mounted units. And the additional length also makes it very handy for fighting heavily armored units as more power can be applied into the swing thanks to leverage. It can behave as a spear making it useful for formations, and bracing against charges. And is certainly handy enough to be used in close quarters combat. The hilt can be used to catch and chamber weapons, and hook and trip targets.

Needless to say it is a favored weapon for infantry. Though it requires more training than a common spear to reap the full benefit. It can sometimes be found in collections outside of the empire. Either as a trophy a soldier may have taken. Or simply a weapon collector.

One handed Swords
Primarily used as a side arm. It is often the fallback weapon when the Ashandarei has entered a situation where the length of it becomes a burdon. Largely when in the tighter confines of a thick woods, or when a battle has devolved into a melee and the aid of a shield is more desirable. These weapons are most commonly a scimitar.

Yasogar - "The Cheap Dusack"
The favored sword of kobolds. Most commonly called the Cheap Dusack. It is a cheaply made sword that a blacksmith of poor skill can often produce and still manage to somehow be effective. Unlike most swords the weapon does not have a true handle or hilt. Instead the blades tang is is extended and curled into a guard. Because of this design, Kobolds have came up with many ingenious uses for the weapon. For using it as knives, swords, spears, climbing toolsdw, to hook something, and so forth.

Horn Bows
Due to the environment. Wood is not a commodity that is easily wasted. And because the training for archery takes years, wood is not spent on bows. Instead, bows are often made out of a composite of horns and sinew. They are designed short and with a double recurve and points of leverage on both ends of the bow. The result is a short bow that is comparable to a common longbow in performance. However, unlike the longbow the bow does not perform as well with heavier arrows - thus does not have the same armor penetration capabilities at range.

Due to the nature of these bows, these bows take much longer to produce and are generally expensive. These bows are much more difficult and time consuming to create and requires an experienced bowyer to produce a bow of acceptable quality. Critical failure of a poorly made drawn horn bow is often times fatal to the handler.

The bow also must be kept dry due to the glue. However, many of the bows in military service are often wrapped with something to protect it from the elements. Either a scaley hide or the bark of an ash tree. The bows are often stored in cases strapped to the side of the soldier or hunter.

However, the bow is fully capable of being used while in motion and mounted.

Largely due to history, those who are training for archery are trained to shoot while not standing in a static position. Archers are trained to shoot while moving. They must be able to shoot and hit thrown targets while jumping forwards and backwards. They must be able to hit a target while running forward and back pedaling. They are also trained into two drawing techniques that allows them to fire their bows in rapid succession. These techniques are holding the arrows pinched between each finger of their drawing hand. And to hold and draw arrows from the hand that is holding the bow. This training is true among the citizens as well.

Slings
Origionally more commonly used by the empire's kobolds. The versatility and ease of handling the sling has brought the weapon into more common use. The sling is often outfitted with multiple different types of bullets and ammunition. Fire grenades, lead bullets, rocks, caltrops, and so on.

All infantry units carry a sling, and a handful of bullets. Each soldier is trained to be able to load the sling with a single hand. And to be able to hit a single target at variable distances while stationary. And to sling the weapon in barrages while moving.

Kobolds are often far more proficient with the weapon. And squads of them are used as skirmishing units to pelt enemy units with barrages of rocks and fire grenades.

Hoopac
A type of sling that has additional uses of versatility. It is a quarterstaff made of flexible wood. On one end is a sling shot like addition. On the other end is a spear point. The hoopac can be used as a sling staff. Be stabbed into the ground and used as a sling shot to fire heavier ammunitions. Or be used as a spear. It can also be spun about to make a bullroar sound as a form of music.

Javelin
Even though it is outclassed by the horn bow. The javelin still has found usage in the military. The Javelin is primarily used in the light cavalry and skirmishing units. Unlike the common javeline, the Tsoroshar empire's javelin has been made shorter and leans towards the heavier side. When used by light cavalry, the spear's additional weight allows it to punch armor, or take out the mount with the aid of opposing momentum. When used by skirmishers, siveks are the primary users of this weapon. Their ability to fly allows them to throw the weapon from greater heights and take advantage of the weapon's heft.

Armor

Armor within the empire is often times slanged to the term of a Harness. This is due to most of the armors created for use within the empire do not feature an aketon for draconians and kobolds, and are normally worn with the aid of a harness or other materials. An aketon is used for humanoids who are in the army.

The common lack of an aketon is mostly due to the scaley hide of draconians and kobolds. It often works well enough to deflect an errant swing of the sword. Though does not quite offer the same protection as a gambeson. The use of full plate is also rare in the empire compared to other nations. While it is agreed that it offers the best protection, it is often viewed as an unnecessary luxury due to the impracticality that comes with it. The requirement for assistant to put on and remove, the expense and length of time required to craft it, and the in ability to easily pass it on to offspring gives it a lack-luster view.

These are the most common sources of protection used in the army.

Splint Mail
Armor most commonly used by heavy units. The Splint mail is an armor formed from a mixture of bands of steel called 'splints' being attached to variest pieces of leather both hardened and soft. The armor also sometimes features gambeson patches on major sections for added protection in the event something manages to get through the small gaps and the hardened leather. A chainmail is also often worn, but not always.

Brigadine
Quite literally a coat of plates. and by far the most common assortment of armor. It is forged by rivoting plates onto a hardened leather coat.

Gambeson
Often worn only by skirmishing units and kobolds. It is surprisingly protective and quite resiliant to punctures and cuts. Due to it being cloth, it is often times died to help the skirmishers blend into the environment.

Artillery

The Artillery of the army is predominantly designed to target infantry. These weapons are much smaller, and are designed to fling a scatter based ammunition, rather than a single large stone or arrow.

The most common artillery is a small catapult. The loading bowl is designed to be much larger and to allow the loaded ammunition to scatter.

The army will employ various different types of ammunitions. From Fire Grenades, Stones, vials of oil, and so forth. But perhaps their most famous are the Morderivaren.

The Morderivaren, "Glass balls of death"
Globes of thick hollow hardened glass. Surprisingly cheap and easy to make. They are difficult to break, and can be dropped onto a hard stone from hip height with only a crack. However, when provided with enough energy, say being launched from a catapult, the orbs will shatter on impact. Due to the excess energy, the thousands of tiny glass shards are easily flung ten feet through the air at a high velocity. This flings glass into various exposed areas, cutting skin, the eyes, getting in the mouths and nose. The glass also works its way under the armor and will run through gambeson and cloth and begin to cut at the skin underneath. And larger glass shards often punch their way through boots when stepped on. The weapon isn't known for killing immediately. But the damage it causes later is massive and is a heavy strain logistically. Many of the soldiers impacted by the weapon often die from blood loss, or infection from hundreds of cuts lining their bodies. Fortunately, the weapon is as a discourtesy for the opposition to die in battle. So it is not often Employed.

Structure

The structure of Tsoroshar military and armies consists of Squads, Banners, Armies, and Grand Legions.

Squad
A squad is a subgroup of a banner. A squad can be of variable sizes, from five to five hundred men. And will be lead by a squad leader often called a Captain.

Banner
A Banner is a collection of squads, commonly equating to over a thousand men. A banner's count is often optimized to cover a predetermined area of land. A banner of infantry can easily be three thousand men, while a banner of calvary could be only a thousand mounted units. Yet they take up the same defensible area in multiple formations. This makes it easier to make commands, while having a rough estimate of what lines or formations will look like in the field. The leader of a banner is called a Banner-General.

Army
An army is a collection of Banners. A Lieutenant-General will often command a small number of banners at once.
The Captain-General is the leader of the army.

Legion
A legion is a collection of armies. Usually under the command of a High lord. If not directly under command of a high lord, than by his appointed "Lord Captain-Commander" and generals.

Grand Legion
The Grand Legion is the entire military collection of the empire. The Grand Legion is under direct command of the current Empress/Emperror, the spouse, and generals.

Government

The government of Tsoroshar Empire is of an imperial state. At the head is the Emperor or Empress, often times from the imperial family. Should the family be wiped out, it makes room for a member of the blood and their family to ascend. The emperor has absolute power over the entire state, but does not always directly manage the empire.

The Upper caste of the Blood will often see to governing tasks similar to a Feudal system. At the top are colloquially known as high lords, whom own large sums of lands called provinces. Lesser lords serve under these high lords and control and manage smaller plots of land within the province. These can be from a small village, to sections of a city, or an entire country side.

As for laws and judgement, The entire empire has a basic set of laws placed by the emperor that can not be invalidated by any other power than the emperor's hand. Below that are Provincial laws that affects the entire province set by the high lords. And then finally each section of land managed by a lord under the provice will also have their own laws and judgement systems.

Religion

The Primary Religion of the Tsoroshar Empire most obviously follows the dragon pantheon. A collection of many different enlightened dragons. The origins of this religion are not fully known, and many of the details are largely here-say. But the religion holds mythos of creation, and a prophecy of the end of the world. This religion is primarily practiced by Draconians and Kobolds.

The three most notable entities of this religion is as follows:
Apsu - The dragon god of life and law.
Takhisis - The Dragon goddess of passion and ruin.
Baal - The Dragon God of all and nothing. Chaos and Neutrality.

Religions from other countries have been introduced by foreign missionaries, and immigration. These religions are largely practiced by the minority races within the empire. The empire's view of religions allow for freedom of practice, but mandates that all religious activities except for the empire's primary must be kept out of state affairs.

Economy

The economy of the Tsoroshar Empire is comprised of a mix of Internal, and external exploits. The Internal trades are largely a mix of shipping various supplies to locations that do not have such resources.

Agriculture is extremely limited within the Empire, and is primarily along the Wester, and Eastern border of the empire, where major biome features supports it. The River and Savannah.

Further south, around the outskirts, Mining is a major operation. Raw materials such as Tar, Copper, Iron, Cobalt, Gold, Silver, and Gems are mined and gathered. These materials are shipped through out the entire Empire towards various markets and crafts men.

Stones are also collected and cut. Shale, granite, raw stone, etc.

Outside of mining, there are major hunting paths involving dinosaurs, and various monsters natural to the area. Hides and meats are collected.

Finally, there is also a few special dig sights where the sand has a favored composition that is used in the nations glass art work. Though it is often experimented with to find new compositions, the base is normally this material.

As for External Trade, Tsoroshar Empire primary exports is Iron, Sugar Cane, Gems, Copper, Silks, Tin

Gu-Wei are currently their most important trading partner, who provides additional agricultural supplements, wood, and materials that would be incredibly difficult to obtain in the desert.

More notably, the Empire also buys shipments of fertile soil.

Territory

Cemaros - The Capital Territory of the Tsoroshar Empire. Provincial Capital is "The Sapphire City, Oghriera" one of the Jeweled Cities. Located directly in the center of "The Mosaic Plains". The provincial capital of this city is built to be in the direct path of the eye of the high storm. This territory houses the grand shrine to Baal, Father of all and nothing. The father of both the end and beginning. The father of time.

Natan - Provincial Capital, "The Emerald City, Emarldo". A province located on the western most side of the empire, and nestled against the river. It is well known for being one of the more lush nations with greenery being a major decoration. The acting High Lady is a Bozak Draconian by the name of Bazael. The province houses the final stop of a pilgrimage first undertook by the second emperor of the Empire. Here the grand shrine of Apsu is located. God of preservation and justice. Of life and benevolance.

Uri - Provincial Capital, "The Ruby City, Calahenila". This territory is located on the south eastern end of the empire. It is well known for the color of the red sand and strata. This Province's current High Lord is a Alethi Draconian named "Parga". This province marks the beginning of the historical pilgrimage taken by the second emperor. In this province, the Grand Shrine of Takhisis is held. Mother of Ruin and Passion. Mother of Death and Perserverence. Mother of ambition and conquest.

Nuitari - Provincial Capital, "The Beryl City, Safabumila" A province located on the northern most section of the empire. It gets its name from the draconian name for the moon. The Capital City's name roughly translates into "The forgoten daughter." Despite it literally translating into something else. The current highlord is a Skaa Draconian by the name of "Antac".

Terrain

The Sea of Glass
The name of the entire desert that houses the Tsoroshar Empire. The name comes from the way the desert's landscape glitters slightly in the sunlight. A small fraction of the desert is the result of rain shadows. But the large majority of the plains is a costal desert, and is actually caused by regularly occuring high storms that had utterly washed away the top soil and left behind mostly stone, sand, and deposits from the storms.

Natural Phenomenon - High Storms.
High storms are a regular part of the desert, and appear at a regular and near predictable interval. Typically the storms occur every few days. The path of the storm is always from south-east to north west. The storm consists of extreme winds capable of peeling flesh with sand and small debris, or throwing large stones and uprooting houses that have not been constructed with the storms in mind. A heavy rain storm strikes with enough force to give a stinging sensation where the rain drops hit. The storm is broken into two major parts.

The Storm Wall, which is a visible wall of clouds, lightning, and heavy rain that signals the approach. Generally when the storm wall is seen on the horizon, you only have an hour or so to get to shelter. The second part is the passing. Where the strength of the storm dwindles to a light rain after the main wall has passed. Both stages lasts for a few hours, and it is safe to go outside just before the "Passing."

Because of the raw and untamed nature of the storm, the storm is often associated with one of the draconic gods. The High Storms are revered, and are a strong part of the empire's culture.

The Mosaic Plains
A large swath of Penensulas forming canyons and chasms situated in the center towards the souther border. The land gets its name as the wind polished surface of the penensulas creates a beautiful mosaic of colors in the desert sun. In the depths of the chasms, creatures that thrive in darkness and are capable of withstanding the floods thrive here. Because of how difficult it is to lay siege with the diffuclt terrain, and multiple forms of exposures to the storms, the Empire's Capital is located here.

The Nightmare's Land.
The southern most area, and near the border. The Badlands gets its reputation for being a absolutely nightmare to traverse. Numerous monsters, creatures of pray, and spirits of the fallen who had not come to terms with their death tend to roam here. It is assumed that this is largely because the area happens to be near the border of the known world. Near this border, and within the mountain rages is an old ruins that is used for a cremony of redemption.

The Highlands.
The western section of the empire, near the river and mountains. The Highlands is one of the more green areas of the empire. The ecosystem, supported by the river, and additional run off streams from the mountains, gives it the support of trees, tall mountain grass, flowers, and of course a healthy population of bees. The highlands is made of layered cliff sides that shape the path of the river.

The Shifting Sea of Sand.
The area south of the capital. Here most of the sand is often heavily saturated with water, and is mostly loose. A large number of quicksand pits exist here.

The Jeweled Cities
The Jeweled Cities are the Empire's major Cities. As the name states, they were initially named after a gem of some sort. With the first Jeweled city to be created, The Sapphire City Oghriera. While a fraction of a Jeweled City can be seen above ground, the majority is underground, housed in large cave systems both natural and man-made.

Factions

Deathwatch Guard - The Praetorian guards of the royal family. These are an elite group of watchmen dedicated to the protection of the royal family. All members of the deathwatch guard are Da'covele owned by the Emperor/Empress herself. These guards fiercely protect the family from threats of assassination. Their armor is painted a green so dark it is easily mistaken for black, and a sapphire blue. They get their name, for if the emperor/empress dies under their watch, they are all to be executed.

Asha'riod (The Guardians of the Land)
A faction of Rangers who have dedicated themselves to life in the wilderness of the desert. These Rangers often protect settlements through the empire from bands of bandits, and wild creatures. They help maintain roads and ensure they are easy to discern in the harsh environment. They keep schedules of the upcoming storms. And finally, they rescue travelers who have gotten lost in the desert.

Characters

Empress Thubian - The Sapphire Star
The current Empress of the empire. In the empire's history, she stands unique from the other emperors and empress in her appearance. Like most other emperor's she is a Skaa. Unlike most of her own race she shows decidedly feminine features. She lacks much of the bulk found on Draconians, and has a much more slender frame with curves. Her neck longer, as are her claws, legs, and arms. Her snout is also shorter. All in all, she has the beauty and grace of a serpent. Personality wise, many of the typical politicians outside the empire will find her difficult to pin. She is measured, and calm, but holds a tongue so blunt, it can be used as a bludgeon. She rarely sweetens her words with honey. And though she is well loved by her people, she is known for having an emotionally detached and heavy handed enforcement policy.

Captain-General Lord Vaalteralde of Ceramos
Vaalteralde is a blue scaled Kobold originating from the Thunderfoot tribe. His name was originally Lllthyx, and like the rest of his tribe, he served the imperial family with near slavish loyalty. It was eventually discovered that the Kobold had an impressive talent and grasp for military tactics. By order, he had entered the military as a squad leader for Kobold Skirmishers. He quickly ascended through the ranks with a show of cleverness and guile. And eventually became a Captain-General of one of the Empress's personal armies. As a reward, the Empress had promoted him to a siveh just under a high lord, and gifted him his new name. Through his time in service as a Captain-General, he had forged an extremely strong relationship-bond with his Lieutenant-General. A bond that is well known for being rare among kobolds. A bond strong enough to allow the kobold to overcome his kinds natural sense of paranoia and vulnerability. And he becomes quite irate when separated from his Lieutenant for too long.

Lieutenant-General Lord Rhundas
A Skaa Draconian who had been the Lieutenant-General of the Blue Fang for years. When his original Captain-General had met an untimely end, the promotion was presented to Rhundas but he head refused the position. This allowed Vaalteralde to become the new Captain-General. Due to the sense of vulnerability that a kobold often has, the Skaa also acted as the Kobold's personal bodyguard and if need be Chaperone. With time, the two began to forge a powerful relationship. Both of which forming what seems like a dependency on one another. They became each other's closest friends, confidants, drinking partners, and more.

[AdorableSaucer]

@Slagar Could you give this a lookover? Factions and stuff are done!

The Empire of Gu-Wei

The Empire of Gu-Wei

Imperial Anthem

The Divine Sound of Fuxi

=-=General Information=-=

• A lake- and riverfaring empire with a long history situated south of the Midland Sea.
• The imperial family and the court are mostly comprised of Elves, with a few lower positions being held by humans and, in the southern settlements, draconians. The most populated areas of the empire, the riverlands and lakelands, are home to mainly humans and mucklings.
• Gu-Wei is a hereditary empire that claims to trace its heritage all the way back to ancient Muha.
• Their proximity to and mastery of the lake and its rivers makes them an able trading empire. The state is dependent on the grain, fish and fabric trade for its income. The currency used is the gu-weian bei, small metal shards with holes in the centre.
• The nation speaks a multitude of languages with no standardisation efforts beyond the requirement to speak guanyan, or ‘official speak’, when applying for a position at court. The written word is known as guwen and is largely standardised in the governmental positions. Guanyan is also being used by traders as a lingua franca.
• Population: 14 million with a total army size of 210 000 professional soldiers.
• Wealth: Rich, but disparities are considerable.
• Espionage: Poor.

Races

Elves (Huangzu): A ruling minority of elves claiming to descend for the nobles of Muhakim. They are typically tall and fair of skin, naturally lean and almost enchantingly beautiful. The Huangzu elves hold all upper positions of government, including the position as the royal family. Their numbers are few, however, and what little their supposed heritage knew about magic has long since been watered out of the bloodline. Today, this ruling minority suffers a multitude of issues related to inbreeding and mind-sicknesses. An emperor akin to those from the olden days has not been seen for centuries.

Huangzu Appearance

Elves (Puzu): A larger group of peasant and gentry elves that hold smaller areas of land around the capital. Physically, they are quite similar to the Huangzu, with the exception of typically more colour variations of the skin, shorter ears and more rugged features. These are considered noble enough to hold lower positions of government, with the worthiest even being allowed to serve at the royal courts. However, interbreeding between the huangzu and puzu is considered taboo.

Puzu Appearance

Humans (Renzu): The decisively largest single group in the empire, though its internal diversity is much greater than what government reports would have the emperor believe. The renzu is actually comprised of four smaller ethnic groups of humans found throughout the riverlands, lakelands and forests. In their own tongues, there are:

• The Jianger-Kaan: Once a loose coalition of river tribes in the western wetlands, the Jianger-Kaan now make up a sizeable portion of the Gu-Wei population. Their homeland, the Guokou riverlands, are among the most fertile areas of the entire empire, and are thus simultaneously the most raided and most well-guarded area of the country. The Jianger-Kaan are themselves varied within, with skin and hair colour ranging from bronze to black, generally hard-worked and stocky builds, and close ties to the local water buffalo. Due to their importance to the empire as a whole, the Jianger-Kaan are well respected even among the elves, and are allowed a great deal of autonomy.
• The Middlings: This group of humans are native to the lakelands, and have a presence all around the Midland Sea; however, only a few clans actually swear fealty to the Gu-Weian emperor. They aren’t as numerous as the Jianger-Kaan, but what they lack in numbers, they make up for in tradeskills, particularly in shipscraft and fishnet spinning. They known the lake and its rivers well, and also make up the bulk of the empire’s trading fleet. However, they are often disliked by the nobility for being opportunistic and profiteering, and typically suffer discrimination as a result. The Middlings typically have bronze or golden skin and black hair, and the males often grow long facial hair.
• The Druïtha: Native to the thick forests of the central empire, the Druïtha are a simple group of various woodland tribes. Their culture has heavy elements of nature worship and emphasis on an ascetic lifestyle. While they more than often present a barrier for expansionist governors seeking to prospect for natural resources in the many sacred groves, the Druïtha have made themselves invaluable to the empire by sharing their secrets of silk production. While the people themselves are typically superstitious and easily aggravated, their skill in fabrics production has made the empire incredibly rich. Therefore, they are allowed great freedom of religion, movement and rights. The Druïtha are typically pale and rugged in appearance, with scars and tattoos covering their bodies.
• The Esterlings: This group of humans are native to the eastern lakelands, riverlands and forests. They are a hardy, strong folk, with mainly bronze and black skin. Most of the males are bald and have large beards, while the females have hair of chestnut or black colours. Culturally, the Esterlings are stubborn and competitive of nature, putting their lives into their trades as blacksmiths, lumberers and farmers. Historically, the Esterlings have manned the economic powerhouse of the empire, the iron sludge forge towns, and are also responsible for some of the largest rebellions throughout history. They have a tense relationship with the elves, and their oral traditions hone their memory for when the elves cross the line next.

Mucklings (Xiongzu, or ôck-li’yoch): The mucklings are a beastfolk native to the Midland Sea. They are short-statured, stocky, frog-like humanoids that dwell on the border between land and water. Due to their ugliness, odd tongue and uncivilised way of life, these are often employed as slaves by the Middlings and lakeland governors. They begin life as tadpoles in the lake and grow throughout a five year period until reaching the humanoid stage, at which point they take on an amphibian lifestyle, hunting on land as well as underwater. Unless enslaves, they typically live in small villages on the lake and river banks and go about their days without much interference. While generally territorial and aggressive, they can rarely compete with the superior weaponry and armour of the imperial army. In the harbour cities, the mucklings often live in terrible slums. Much of their culture has been destroyed in the past centuries, but they have a deep-rooted shamanistic religion that centres around the tribe priest and the cycles of life and death and the tides.

Muckling Appearance

Draconians (Longzu): Found primarily in the south, the diverse draconians make up a small minority in the overall population of the empire. However, due to the proximity of the Tsorodar Empire, draconians are often selected for positions of governorship in the south to keep relations warm, the pool of candidates primarily consisting of Bozak draconians. Draconians enjoy a decent rank among the citizens of the empire, often being employed as soldiers, pit fighters or hunters. As the Gu-Wei empire has no fixed caste system, Da’Covele runaways are sometimes caught on the border. While most of these are sent home to the Tsorodar empire to be executed, a fair number make it past the border unseen to start new lives in the less controlled areas of the empire.

Draconian Appearance

History

Year 150-366: The Beginning of an Empire

According to the Imperial Doctrine (Year 757)…

A thousand years ago, the Muha emperor’s concubine, Sha-laxas Itha, pregnant with her firstborn son, was sent away, far away, to escape the danger of the rampant hordes of wickedness. Across hills and under branches, her chariot took her, until the horses were coughing blood and running on stumps sanded away by stone and root. So long was the journey, that before their unknown destination was reached, Sha-laxas Itha gave birth, and that which she had born was the son of the dawn and the night, emperor of tide and storm, or tree and beast. When the soldiers who had helped her returned the son to her arms, his very touch sealed shut the wounds he had torn on his way out, and from his first minute, the boy could speak.

So the young emperor spoke: “Bring the chariot to yonder hill; stick so your swords in the grass, o guardsmen, and wait until the sun has set. When dawn again has cast its rays upon this virgin soil of old, the realm my blood shall rule eternal, clearly will be seen.”

The guards obeyed, for none could dispute the miracle before themselves. So they in place of tortured horses shouldered the chariot by its drawbar and shaft, and with the mother and the emperor in the carriage, they brought it to the hill up ahead. At the top, they dug their blades into the soil and went to sleep. That night, they saw visions of a second Muhakim - a greater Muhakim - ruled by imperial blood as divine as had ruled their home for centuries.

When they woke up, at last, their emperor had spoken true - before them laid the rays of heaven, glaring down at the distant plain. There, between the lake and desert, the capital to stand a thousand years would be built.

Written by the predecessor to the current ruling dynasty, the Imperial Doctrine has become a staple of the imperial cult and the heritage of the royal family. However, in spite of its acceptance as historical fact, it overshadows the true founding of the Gu-Wei empire:

The first elves to settle the Xinguo, the empire heartlands between the Midland Sea and the southern deserts, may at some point have had ties to the Muha empire. However, the settlement of the heartlands happened 848 years ago as opposed to a thousand, and was largely limited to a small coalition of elven escapees from the north. Armed and armoured with superior technology, this coalition (known as the Guzu) began conquering and assimilating surrounding elven refugee tribes. Efforts were made early on to establish a centralised government, but due to limited access to food, rampant disease and constant conflict with local human tribes, the Guzu could never keep enough soldiers to maintain larger order. In the end, they were driven from the Xinguo heartlands and forced to trek northwards, where they eventually settled by the Midland Sea. In the year 207 of the second age, the settlement of Shi was founded by the first Guzu emperor, Rizan of the Shi dynasty.

The lakelands suffered few of the same issues as the heartlands, with the foreign tribes being fewer, less aggressive and easier to defend against, and the access to waterways allowing for much greater degree of inwards communication. Rizan was a capable emperor and a dedicated diplomat. He made peace early with the lakefarer tribes and initiated cultural exchange programs to acquire as much knowledge as he could about the land, the lake, the flora and fauna. Through these exchanges, the Guzu learned of the tribes’ foes, allies, disagreements and internal struggles. These slips of the tongue shortly became the graves of a multitude of tribes, as the Guzu pitted them against one another, bribed them, turned on old allies in favour of mightier favorites. The Guzu equipped their closest with bronze tools and weapons and watched them wipe out the smaller rebels who stood against the growing might of the Shi dynasty. By the year 297, the Guzu controlled all of the southern lakebank and a considerable chunk of the heartlands.

With the heartland recaptured and the empire’s strength boosted beyond recognition, Rizan looked away from the forested empire centre for a moment at the distant riverlands to the west. Tales from the human traders told of food in immeasurable abundance, and the last hundred years certainly had tested the larder sizes of the empire. They first moved in with diplomats, trying to learn from the multiple tribes along the great rivers; learn of their motives, their cultures - their enemies. Initial contact was friendly enough - trade agreements were settled and grain, fruit, legumes and vegetables flowed into Shi. However, the trade was lopsided - the royal advisors cautioned that much of the realm’s wealth was being drained in return for much too little crops. At the time, the Guzu had a complex iron industry, using iron sludge from the eastern swamplands. In return for a week’s worth of crops, the river tribes demanded enough iron to amount to two weeks of work. The trade simply wasn’t sustainable.

In 314, Rizan had had enough. The empire was by now in severe debt, and all too dependent on the grain trade, so the emperor rounded up the royal forces and went to war against the river tribes. It would be a conflict which would outlast the emperor himself, for the river tribes were crafty. They knew the wetlands would swallow whatever heavier cavalry the imperial forces employed, and their canoes and rafts much outpaces and outmaneuvered the cumbersome battle fleet of the Shi dynasty. The first few skirmishes brought nothing by losses to the empire: Ships were sunk; warriors, drowned; horses and chariots, forever lost in the swamps. In 361, after 47 years of war, emperor Rizan died of unknown causes. The losses the empire had suffered were immeasurable - some land had been conquered, only to be lost promptly thereafter as the enemy rallied against them. Fortifications built would just sink into the ground and break. Before long, the empire itself fell into turmoil as bordering tribes to the south and east initiated revolts. An opposing political faction arose in court known as the Sons of the Phoenix. They garnered support among the uprising factions as faction members would lead raids against imperial institutions and set free prisoners and slaves. In 366, the Phoenix Rebellion reached Shi and the Shi dynasty capitulated.

Landmass conquered throughout the Shi dynasty

Year 366-755: The Rule of the Phoenix

The Phoenix Sons’ saying went as such: “Like the bird of flame, our empire shall fall and rise again, more beautiful than ever.” In many ways, that mission succeeded. The first action the new emperor, Laoqun of the Feng dynasty, did was to end the grain trade with the river tribes. While this decision was unpopular at first, the empire’s population had been reduced so immensely that little to no starvation followed. Secondly, the emperor reduced the taxes on iron, salt and fabrics, nearly bankrupting the state a second time in a decade. However, public opinion was high and Laoqun dedicated his rule to building up again the lost trust of the border tribes. The ban on other races than elves at court was lifted, and the royal family was soon counselled by elves, humans and even the occasional muckling. The diversity of the empire prospered as a result, and the proto-tribes of the Middlings and Druïtha could be seen working their crafts in street shops. However, not all bonds would heal so easily, and the river tribes were particularly hateful of the Guzu. Laoqun thus decided to never send elves to negotiate with them, but instead send humans. After all, humans had much more in common with other humans than elves did.

However, the peaceful solution Laoqun had dreamed of did not come to pass. By year 401, the lake tribe coalition that had sworn fealty to the Feng dynasty was at war with the river tribes, and the contract binding the lake tribes to the empire forced the imperial army into the conflict. The royal coffers had barely recovered in the past forty years and Laoqun knew that the empire couldn’t survive another war like the dreaded War of A Man’s Age. The emperor sent out emissaries to all corner of the empire, begging for support. A number honoured their oaths, but the emissaries returned largely empty-handed.

The emperor thus had no choice but to raise the taxes. Initial backlash was merciless, with open rebellion in the eastern regions and the threat of a two-front war on the horizon. However, the Feng dynasty couldn’t afford to break its alliance with the lake people: for one, they kept the coffers full with loyally paid taxes and trade; secondly, they were much too close. In the year 407, as the east drew closer and closer to a loss and the river tribes gave no sign of struggle, the emperor died of a stroke. His successor, Mengshi, unrelated to the emperor by blood and instead chosen on account of his merit, ordered the lake tribes to pull out of the river lands and concentrate fully on containing the eastern rebellions. While initial responses were stubborn and unwilling, the lake tribes eventually left the river lands and sailed east to the Iron Swamps. With the reinforcements in place, the Guzu forces allied with loyal human tribes and the lake peoples turned the tides of war completely, forcing the rebels far away into the eastern forests. The Guzu commanders installed a powerful garrison and made bloody examples of rebel prisoners in the streets and on the borders -- blood eagle torture and flaying were commonly practiced to instill fear in the hearts of the rebels. The Guzu blamed all the horror in the region on the uprisers, and a hatred begun to fester in the people against the opposition. In year 406, enemies of the Feng dynasty were given a bounty of ten bei, enough to feed a family of five for a month. Traitors were rooted out like weeds in the garden, and the witch hunt almost started a second round of turmoil; however, it was much more stable than the region had been before.

With the east under control, Mengshi set his eyes west again. There would be no hope in a frontal assault again. While control of the east provided a much needed source of income for the imperial coffers again, an attack on the river lands would be outright suicidal. So he would wait. The river tribes would never leave their own lands to attack - it was much too easy to defend and nigh impossible to attack from; however, could the emperor give them a reason?

For centuries, he planned and taunted the riverlands, often offering them mockingly beautiful gifts to show how stellar the heartlands had become. By 580, alliances made with the Druïtha and various other human woodland tribes came together to conquer the heartlands in the name of the Feng dynasty, so silk flowed through Shi like water through the riverlands. Emissaries were constantly sent back without their heads, hands, legs or noses, but Mengshi pressed on. Surely enough, by the year 600, various factions in the riverlands begun viewing the empire through different lenses. Trade opened up again, but the emperor’s men were certain to keep the prices under their control. The empire prospered, and slowly, slowly, the imperial traders were feeding the river tribes misinformation, lies and deceit about their allies, turning the tribes against one another. In 611, the chief of the Jianger-Kaan, one of the smaller river tribes, came to the royal court for an audience. They spoke of oppression and betrayal from the Ungur-zun, lords of the headwaters, and wanted their vengeance. If the empire offered their aid, the Jianger-Kaan would smuggle a force across Laojiang, the widest river and the biggest thorn in the side of any attack plan to seize the wetlands. While the imperial warfleet was well known and hated among the river tribes, none would suspect the small galleys of Jianger-Kaan.

This was the opportunity the emperor had waited for. Immediately, he agreed to send over ten thousand troops to lay siege to the Ungur-zun capital of Dosr-ung. The assault happened later that year; the river clans had not a minute to react. The transport across the Laojiang had been swift and efficient, and the soldiers had hidden in the dense woods until the time came to strike. When the war horns sounded, an unprepared city faced ten thousand armoured elves and men. Dosr-ung fell within hours.

With the greatest and most powerful river tribe under imperial control, more and more rose up against their oppressive masters in hopes that they would gain imperial favour. By 613, the riverlands, the bane of emperor Rizan and the Shi dynasty, and a five century old thorn in the side of the Guzu elves, were finally under the control of the Feng dynasty.

A hundred years of prosperity followed: Riverland grain flowed into the capital of Shi and the population grew with unprecedented speed. In fact, population growth was so rapid that the nobles at court began to fear that the empire had become dependent on the western riverlands - too dependent. Various factions rose up at court, all of which came up with their own solutions to the problem. Emperor Mengshi, while popular among the people (or, well, those that knew of him), had grown quite unpopular in court of late, primarily among the elven cliques. The ones united Sons of the Phoenix had split into a multitude of subfactions, which added deeper complexity to the already diverse court. In 715, a grave plague broke out in Shi that spread out across the land, bringing with it an unfathomable death toll. Emperor Mengshi took ill and died within weeks of the outbreak, and in his place rose a faction of the Muha Brotherhood, a faction believing in the supremacy of elvenkind. They quickly surrounded themselves with guards and walls of words, arresting anyone who spoke up against their segregating ways. Other races were banned from court, causing great turmoil in the many factions of the empire. The plague that had ravaged the realm was blamed on the mucklings’ unclean way of life, and a great culling followed, effectively ending muckling society as it had existed for millennia.

In 737, the Druïtha of the Heartlands burst into an outrage as imperial forces sent lumberers to turn Düatha-de-Eamhair, the main grove of the northern circle, into farmland. The outrage was met with violence, which spurred a great rebellion which would come to be known as the Ashen War. Druïtha humans were vicious in their attacks and knew their wooden terrian better than the imperial armies of Guzu elves, Jianger-Kaan sailors and various other human tribes. As brave as the woodland tribes were, however, they could not withstand the fire arrows and pitch-rolled boulders of the imperial forces. The entire grove was reduced to ashes, and the Druïtha subdued through force. By 755, the Muha Brotherhood cast aside the name of the Feng dynasty and instead named their own emperor, Guxiong of the Ge dynasty.

Conquest of the Heartlands and the Riverlands

Year 755-901: The Imperial Cult

Guxiong began his work immediately, ordering every writer and historian in the capital to draft a census of lineages in the court, and to begin work on what he and the Muha Brotherhood called the Imperial Doctrine. For too long had the Guzu mingled with lesser races on the quest for greatness - it had soiled their sacred heritage and impeded their mission to lay all the world beneath a new Muha empire. As such, the Muha Brotherhood and the emperor’s men wrote volumes upon volumes of history tracing Guxiong’s bloodline back to the last emperor of Muha, and his favorite concubine, Sha-laxas Itha. The court enforced this new doctrine that spoke of a sacred magical heritage from a thousand years past, and a bright future that would, like the phoenix, rise again out of the ashes even stronger than before.

A complete overhaul of the state was also in order: For nearly five hundred years, the state had been primarily built around the capital of Shi, with few to no actual elven settlements beyond. Lesser races had not actually been governed; they had gone about their own ways, occasionally paid taxes and then taken up arms upon the emperor’s command. In terms of control, the previous emperor could point to but a few lose lines on a map and vaguely declare that those were the empire’s borders. However, everyone at court knew that over half the peasants, woodlanders, lakefarers and other tribes they governed only knew of the empire as two to three armoured guards that occasionally stopped by their village demanding grain.

Guxiong and his clique agreed - this would not do.

It began in 758 with the installment of a new rank - governor. The country was divided into sixteen provinces, each to be governed by an elven governor sent from the capital. The governor would enforce imperial law and doctrines on the citizens of the empire, and see to it that not only taxes were paid, but that the citizens also paid an imperial tithe directly to the imperial family. To avoid separatism, each province was also monitored by an envoy of the emperor, and the traditionally tumultuous east was divided into a multitude of provinces to avoid any one province seizing power in the area.

By 760, however, it became abundantly clear quite quickly that the peoples of the empire had quite the opposite opinion on how the country should be run. In the newly dubbed provinces of Duyin (Druïthim) and Duhan (Dûna-de-Hama), the imperial doctrine of an emperor of divine origins strictly counterspoke the Druïtha belief that no living being could ever descend from divinity, and that the only contact the living could establish with the gods was one through harmony and unity with nature. Furthermore, the local governors agreed that the main commodity of value in the province was silk, and it was declared that the local tithes should be paid in silk. However, the harvesting and processing of silk was a sacred ritual to the Druïtha, and to hurry it along in any way was considered wanton blasphemy. Any effort to increase production in time for tithe season was thus met with hostilities and at times open conflict.

The provinces of Guokoubei (Northern Riverlands), Guokounan (Southern Riverlands) and Jiangdi (Jianger) faired little better. The local festivals around sowing season and harvesting season were banned on account of overlapping with the emperor’s birthday and the Month of Ancestors. Immediately, this sparked rampant riots throughout all three provinces. Food exports to the Heartlands were stopped nigh overnight, and chaos erupted soon after in the central regions. In the east, too, tensions grew high as the oral traditions passed down for generations were suppressed in favour of the imperial cult. Even the far south, which had been a largely stable part of the country for centuries, experienced riots as Draconians grew unimpressed by the weak-bodied leadership of puny elves.

As quickly as they could, the governors sent messages to the emperor, urging him to roll back the tithe reforms and the emphasis on the imperial doctrine, but the emperor would not answer them back. No, for as riots ravaged the countryside and the capital grew famished, the emperor and his closest delved into the deepest dungeons of the imperial palace, where they began to call for angels, demons - anything that could save them in their peril. Meanwhile, one of the governors, Yandi of Sunguo (Sunnaland), united the other governors of the east in a rebellion against the Ge dynasty. Yandi had grown sympathetic to the Esterlings’ cause, seeing the tyranny in suppressing centuries of culture all to legitimise a despotic rule. The rebel armies met little resistance on the way, indifferent governors and supportive soldiers allowing them safe passage. They entered the royal palace to see that the emperor and his who clique had committed ritualistic suicide in a vain effort to summon some form of dark magic. Whether they had succeeded is unknown, but what was certain was that a new leader was needed. Yandi took it upon himself to see the systems of his predecessor undone, and was in 763 crowned emperor Yandi of the Wu dynasty.

During his reign, Yandi removed the restrictions on who could serve as governor, but he did not quite open up the court. During his initial days as ruler, he uncovered a dozen unfinished or prototype plans for possible reforms, many of which he confessed were quite revolutionary. Among other things was a population census, far from completed but vaguely drafted. It categorised the many citizens of the empire into actual groups for the first time: There were two kinds of elf, likely to legitimise the number of elves he threw out of the city for disagreeing with the imperial doctrine; the humans were united into one group, perhaps a reason behind their recent rebellion; the mucklings, who had been reduced to meagre vermin stalking the streets of Shi and the banks of the Midland Sea, were included for some reason; and the Draconians of the south. It was a rough draft, but a draft nonetheless.

Further digging into the many proposals made Yandi ponder if the previous emperor truly had been so mad and despotic as he had thought: Many of these reforms would effectivise the state considerably, including a standardised system of writing, a standing army, quarterly taxation instead of monthly… The list went on. Yandi would keep some and scrap some.

By 783, the majority of governors were from the actual province they governed, which solved a number of issues. Yandi declared that the imperial doctrine should no longer be enforced, but instead taught as imperial history to those seeking to enter a position at court. Local customs were legalised once more, and the tumult slowly begun to die down again. Governor power was restricted further, and beyond taxation and military drafts, the central government remained largely invisible to the majority imperial citizens. Anyone seeking a position in government had to learn the standardised script known as guwen; traders and trading guilds who operated with written accounts also had to learn to be allowed into imperial ports. The Greater Shi area developed a local dialect which became the official tongue of the empire, known as guanyan. Finally, the bei was introduced as the standard currency for all to use, phasing out among other things the barter economy of the Druïtha. Standard weights and measurements were also enforced, based on the Middling units used in trade.

A century passed under Yandi’s rule and reforms were passed slowly and allowed the populace time to adjust. Yandi’s royal court had come to be known as the Huangzu, just as Guxiong and his clique had wanted. These elves were of Yandi’s own blood and served in the highest seats of government. The emperor made certain to maintain good relations with them all at all times, and was thorough when it came to emphasising that he was descended from Muha, and that he himself had been chosen to rule out of all of his family by angelic mandate. This idea of the angelic mandate was spread throughout the empire and adapted for local cultures. All would know that to unseat the emperor was to go against the will of the angels and gods. The tax system had filled the state coffers with metal, food and fabrics, all of which were spent on great structures to honour the greatness of the Wu dynasty. Shi was no longer alone in being the only great city in the empire. Other centres of industry, trade and growth popped up around the realm: Jiangla and Jianger in the riverlands, with populations numbering almost a million each; Amarra, jewel of the east, an industrial port city with nearly seven hundred thousand diligent workers keeping the iron forges flaring day and night; Norrabi in the Sunnaland province, uniting the fabrics of the Druïtha groves and jewels and minerals of the southern deserts with the markets of the north. The country was blooming; the phoenix had risen again from the ashes.

Year 901- : The Gu-Wei Empire

At the mark of the 900th year of the 2nd Age, emperor Yandi declared to all that the empire of the Guzu elves, which for so long had existed without a truly defined name beyond the Guzu or whatever name of the dynasty in power had chosen, were to be given a true name. He took the first character of the Guzu name, 古, meaning ancient, and claimed the only character he deemed worthy to describe the empire: 威, wei, the guwen character for might. In guanyan, thusly, the empire was named Gu-Wei, ‘ancient might’.

Culture

It would be wrong to classify the Gu-Wei empire’s culture as a singular thing. With the multitude of ethnic groups and cultural criss-crossing between the various races, Gu-Wei is host to a plethora of different customs, ranging from clothing to festivities to languages. Here are some examples:

Laws

To a high degree, the whole empire follows a loose set of laws laid out by various emperors since the dawn of the empire. These include the usual passages, such as prohibiting murder, stealing, adultery and various other malicious practices. However, while a standardised system of law has been in the works over the past two centuries, the Elves of Shi cannot seem to rid their realm completely of a number of older laws that stick to their subjects like marrow in the bones.

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Riverland Law: The Blood Debt

A remarkable trait among the riverlanders is their blood debt law, which states that any murder entitles the family of the deceased to a life from the killer’s family. This debt can be paid either through servitude, death or property. Due to the severity of the two first options, most choose to pay the family of the deceased the amount equal to the life of their dead relative. These prices are standardised, with the death of an adult male costing a thousand bei; an adult woman, two thousand bei; a child under the age of fifteen summers, five hundred bei; an elder above the age of forty summers regardless of gender, a thousand bei.
Occassionally, however, some will choose the path of servitude. In the event that this happens, the killer or someone from the killer’s family is chained to the deceased’s family until death, regardless of whether the family believes the debt has been paid. The family chooses how they wish to treat the servant, and the servant has no right to argue against unfair treatment. Most servants die shortly after enslavement due to overworking.

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Druïtha Law: The Sacred Groves

The sacred groves are defined as any forested area that the druids have declared carries seeds of the gods. These groves are respected and cared for like children, for they are the only worldly connections to the gods, without which the world would be doomed. Therefore, harming the groves in anyway is punishable by death. Harming can be as little as peeling bark off of the trees.

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Druïtha Law: The Law of Nature’s Speed

Nature takes its time with everything - nothing is ever hastened along, or so the Druïtha say. Unlike their Esterling neighbours to the northeast, the Druïtha shun all manner of mass production or unsustainable resource extraction. Therefore, any effort to ‘hurry nature along’ (that being increasing production at the cost of nature, for example filling the forest with silk worms which then eat all the leaves and shrubberies around), is prohibited and punishable by death.

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Esterling Law: Right to Duel

Few qualities are more important to an Esterling than pride - the very act of losing face or causing someone to lose face can ruin a person’s whole career - whole life, even. Thus, whenever an Esterling is insulted gravely, they can invoke the right to duel, at which point the insulter and insultee will both draw swords and fight until one of them falls. This right is culturally accepted and the winner is not charged with murder afterwards regardless of the imperial laws prohibiting such.

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Middling Law: Embargo-Free

The Middlings believe in great profits, and centuries of knowing the markets and trade have led them to choose any port whenever, regardless of whether its friendly or mean. Due to their importance to the imperial coffers, the Middlings are effectively allowed to smuggle and trade with the enemy as much as they want, provided they can show the port authorities adequate documents.

Craftsmanship

Crafting carries many meanings throughout the empire: In the east, crafting refers to the way of life for the citizens of the forge-cities, fashioning rusty sludge into iron tools and weapons; to the Druïtha, craftsmanship is turning silk into fabric and wood into totems and idols; the Jianger-Kaan see craftsmanship in culinary art, spending hours and even days perfecting recipes; the Draconians see craftsmanship in jewelry and even martial arts; the mucklings practice shell art and stone carving to shape idols of worship in their villages and slums.
The Elves, both Huangzu and Puzu, practice goldsmithing and jewelcrafting using the resources imported from the south, and the Middlings build great ships for both the trade fleet and warfleet of the empire.
Additionally, the Guzu elves of old passed down schematics and trade secrets in medicine, papercraft and construction, which especially the Puzu Elves make good use of in expansion of Gu-Wei culture throughout the realm.

Elven Jewelry

Esterling Weaponry

Jianger-Kaan steamed goods

Clothing

Clothing varies a great deal throughout the empire, with each ethnic group differing slightly depending on local customs and climate. Largely, however, the availability of silk and flax fabrics and the overall warmth of the southern temperate areas, the majority of the populace wears light clothing in the form of tunics, robes and baggy pants.

Huangzu Elves

The Huangzu commonly dress in fine silks with bejeweled embroideries, using materials from all across the realm. The daily clothing follows a strict gender-based code, where males wear black or white robes and females wear red, blue or green. What colour one wears is decided by one’s station and relationship with the emperor. The emperor himself wears only yellow to signify their station.
Other colours denote:
Male:
What the male fashion shares in common is an emphasis on one or two colours for the whole attire: Black with gold, white with blue.

• Black: Father/uncle/older brother to the emperor. Has limited power at court, but husbands will make decisions in the emperor’s place if the emperor for some reason is unavailable. Those dressed in black function as advisors to the emperor. As they are figures of importance for the emperor’s growth, the emperor repays them with respect and wealth.
  
  Painting of Rizao, older brother of emperor Rizan

  
• White: Cousins, nephews, sons, young brother: Those that wear white have no power initially unless granted a position, typically in the military or in provincial governance. The white robes are typically referred to as ‘scholardress’ as the emperor’s cousins, nephews, sons and younger brothers are forced to undergo an intense education so they one day can serve their leader as able officers or statesmen.
  
  Prince Yanri, eldest son of Emperor Yandi

  

Female:
As opposed to male clothing, female dresses often have multiple different colours and embroideries to complement and contrast the base tint. Furthermore, they often wear short jackets of contrasting colours.

• Blue: Emperor’s mother/aunt/older sister: Serves in advisory positions as well as caretakers of the emperor. They oversee management of the royal estates such as the summer and winter palaces, and the central palace grounds in Shi. The blue-clothed are nonetheless very well respected, and traditions dictate that the emperor must see to it that these individuals are married to good men and given wealthy homes.
  
  Taomei, older sister of Emperor Yandi

  
• Red: Cousines, nieces, daughters and younger sisters of the emperor: Much like their male counterparts, this group is put in education to serve the emperor. However, due to the tight familial bonds among the Huangzu, most of the red-clothed are sent into domestic education to serve as the emperor’s future concubines or wives to the emperor’s sons and brothers.
  
  Gu’an, daughter of Emperor Guxiong

  
• Green: The emperor’s wife and concubines: Compared to the other groups, these enjoy quite a bit of freedom, being closest to the emperor and the bearer of his children (provided they live to not see their father overthrown).
  
  Liansong, wife of Emperor Yandi

  

Military Fashion:
Another trait common among the males of Huangzu is ceremonial armour in official ceremonies. This armour is heavy and cumbersome, but incredibly beautiful and a strong sign of wealth and might. Due to its expense, however, it’s typically only worn by those closest to the emperor.

Blood Red Ceremonial Armor worn by Prince Yanqiang, youngest son of Emperor Yandi

Puzu Elves

Puzu Elves typically hold lower positions in government or at court at the most, and the majority are either peasants, artisans or scholars. Their clothing is not colour-coded as strictly as that of Huangzu, but heavy influences from the central court create certain norms for what to wear. Among the gentry, for example, one is expected to at least own one attire in the style of Huangzu silk for ceremonial and official occasions. Here, the men are expected to wear black or white, and the women red or blue, though the colours are not tied to particular positions. However, outside of Greater Shi and deeper into the Heartlands, the gender divide on colours is less rigid, meaning Puzu governors outside of Greater Shi often wear red robes and consider it a proud cultural trait.

Zhang Mozhang, governor of the Heartlands

Those who are of lesser means and birth usually wear linen or leather, depending on what’s available. The heat can get intense in the summer, especially further into the Heartlands or in the south in Druïthim. Those who are well off among the peasantry try their best to appear like Huangzu by wearing linen robes fashioned from flax. The richest estate farmers hire master spinners to fashion them such clothing, and some attires are nearly indistinguishable at a glance.

Druïtha

Druïtha live in moist, hot, dense forests, and many go out into the open barely clothed save loincloths to cover the bare necessities. What is typical is that much of what they wear is made from that most comfortable of fabrics, silk. It was said back when the Guzu first made contact with the Druïtha that even their beggars gather the food they earn in sacks of woven silk. The material is in such overflow that its only true value to the Druïtha is religious. Dyeing clothes is a newer concept, however, introduced by the Guzu; it has only been roughly two centuries since the Druïtha began dyeing the clothes they wear.
As opposed to the other ethnicities of the empire, the Druïtha are openly against the fashion of the capital, and the governors of Druïthim and Dûna-de-Hama often suffer hard glares when official ceremonies force them to don Huangzu clothing.

Typical armour of a Druïthan warrioress - silk undergarments reinforced with metal

Esterling

Esterlings are a simple folk that wear what best complements their work, be it light clothing with thick gloves and boots in the forge-cities, leather and thick cloaks to ward off the autumn and winter elements in the fields, bare-torsoed in the baking sun. The common materials found in Esterling clothing are linen and leather; the richer gentry and nobles will occasionally wear Huangzu silk during official visits or when making visits.

Typical Esterling smith

Middling

Middling Merchant Sailor

Middlings dress in what they sell, most often, so many of the merchants dress themselves in silk and linen fabrics, often in the form of turbans and robes. The Midland Sea is known to occasionally be quite windy, so baggy, insulating clothing solves both issues of hot and cold. Landbound merchants, especially the rich, gladly dress themselves like Huangzu and Puzu nobility, as to appear even richer.

Jianger-Kaan

The Jianger-Kaan typically only wear clothing to protect from the elements, such as the powerful summer sun or the torrential winter rains. Clothing is typically restricted to loincloths in the Southern Riverlands, tunic and skirts growing in popularity to both the north and south. The richest wear leather fashioned from the skin of water buffalo or Huangzu silks, depending on their station. Due to slight distrust of the Elves, however, the majority of riverfolk still carry resentment towards Guzu culture. They also often wear large, shield-like, circular straw hats when working.

Muckling

The Muckling clothing is often simple, limited to loincloths and vests. Depending on whether they live in villages or slums, their clothing may vary from primal, but whole, to poor and ragged. The mucklings use leather to make armour, though centuries of repression and cultural loss has left much of their more complex culture in ruins.

Gender and Hierarchy

Gender:
Gender differences is viewed differently throughout the empire, but the imperial doctrine is quite specific about the role of women in government - that being that it is nonexistent. According to the imperial doctrine, women serve as masters of the home, not what’s beyond it.
Among the Huangzu, this means that women possess quite a lot of authority within the imperial palaces, but are functionally powerless outside of them. Women cannot hold positions of governance or military posts, either.
Among the Puzu, the laws stay much the same: Women are largely restricted to the home while men decide matters relating to what’s outside of it. The same culture applies to much of the Jianger-Kaan and the rest of the riverfolk, which coincides neatly with imperial doctrine.
In Esterling and Druïtha territory, however, women have traditionally taken a much greater role outside of the home: Forge-cities are manned just as much by women and men, and Druïthan men are forbidden from serving in the military, as they instead must follow the path of druidism. These cultural rifts have caused numerous disputes throughout history, and the Druïtha still do not offer soldiers to the imperial army on account of the male requirement.
Hierarchy:
Social mobility isn’t impossible in the empire, but it’s strictly controlled. The Huangzu make all imperial decisions, and all the realm’s subjects must (ideally) accept them without question; however, the various governors around the realm and their advisors make more specialised decisions on the local scale. Furthermore, a small minority of advisors at court comprised on non-Huangzu officials may potentially have a small sway in national decisions, but these are few and reliant on connections to spread their influence.
Outside of the royal sphere, however, potentially anyone can rise to become a lesser official or even provincial governor. All they require are is an education at the Imperial Academy in Shi and a mentor who will speak for them during elections. This right is universal for elves, humans and draconians. Mucklings are not allowed to apply to the Imperial Academy.
Any decision made at the provincial level is absolute and will be enforced through law. For this reason, locals are often encouraged to participate in local politics through dialogue with the provincial government to achieve the most harmonious agreements.
In terms of racial hierarchy, the elves regardless of type are above humans, and enjoy certain handicaps in court of law, such as shorter and milder sentences compared to their shorter-lived counterparts. Draconians and humans have equal standing in society, though kobolds that sneak across Gu-Wei borders are treated as lesser and often shunned. Mucklings are at the bottom.

Language

As mentioned, the written word, guwen, is standardised across the whole realm as the only written language accepted in transactions, official and unofficial documents and literature. It’s a logographic script supposedly derived from ancient Muha magical glyphs. It is incredibly difficult to learn and requires a great deal of financial and time investments, which is one of the reasons literacy rates are borderline nonexistent outside of the higher gentry and nobility. However, guwen has been a boon for Esterlings, Middlings and Jianger-Kaan alike, as these civilisations never possessed a written language, or used one that was underdeveloped and insufficient. The Druïtha unofficially use a runic, syllabic script that is officially banned, but secretly allowed for religious reasons.
As for spoken languages, the Gu-Wei empire is incredibly diverse in the centre and much more unified in the riverlands. Water unites, so the Jianger-Kaan dialect of xiyu (western talk, or riverfolk speak) is not so different from the Ungur-zun all the way up to the northern border. In the east, the situation is similar: Rivers and the Midland Sea have united most of the east and Midland around very similar tongues, exceptions being the borders between Origo and Ithram, where dense forests and scattered populations have led to the development of some strange languages that are largely unintelligible to the rest of the Esterlings.
The southeastern Heartlands and Druïthim, however, have some tongue that even after 500 years of cultural exchange remain largely uninfluenced or unchanged from the isolated languages native to the Druïtha woods. The Druïtha speak in total eight different languages with a much greater number of dialects. The languages spoken in the Dûna-de-Hama province, specifically in the provincial capital Hi-Dûna, have been heavily influenced by Esterspeak due to trade, with the Hi-Dûna dialect even having been changed slightly at a syntactic level.
The language spoken in Shi, specifically the one used by the Huangzu and the Puzu, is known as guanyan. This is an old Elven-derived language with tones and limited consonants. To know it fluently is a requirement to graduate from the Imperial Academy in Shi, and is used in all political processes. Among traders it also functions as a lingua franca within the empire.
The Muckling tongue commands a wholly different repertoire of sounds than what elven or human mouths can properly replicate. Several words incorporate croaks of different tones and intensity, sounds which are completely necessary to properly convey meaning. Differences between stressed and unstressed croaks may mean the difference between warning someone that the village is in danger and calling one’s conversation partner fat. The grammar lacks tense, instead conveying meaning by laying down a context then explaining one’s point; for example, in order to tell someone else that something else happened yesterday, a muckling would say “yesterday, something happens”. Furthermore, while it’s been severely marginalised over the course of the centuries, there is a higher form of Muckling speech known in history scrolls as croaksong or rrurrt-yk-xechen. Once, this was a special dialect of mucklingspeak with its own grammar and diction, entirely dedicated to oral poetry, song and religious practices. Long strings of various croaks and ribbits would weave together into religious choral music that went on long into the night. These days, only a number of ageing tribe shamans are familiar with the tongue; in town slums, the tongue has been lost for ages.

Festivities and Entertainment

Festivities

To the Elves, there are three great celebrations throughout the year: Day of the Dawn, the Emperor’s Birthday and the Literature Festival.

• Month of the Ancestors: This is a month-long event during which both Huangzu and Puzu elves mourn those that have passed and pray for advice and blessings for the coming year. During the start of the month, graves are sweeped and washed, and children are expected to make offerings of a tenth of what they earn or reap during that month to their parents. As the month nears its end, great festivals are thrown to praise the festivals and bring great fortune in the coming year. There are musical performances, theatre telling stories of the past, dance numbers and, of course, feasts in abundance. Falls on the first month of every year.
• The Emperor’s Birthday: Celebrating this day goes back all the way to the first emperor Rizan, whose birthday was on the seventh day of the tenth moon. The manner of celebration has stayed largely constant, with great markets and games in Shi. Nowadays, great gladiatorial tournaments are arranged in a specialised arena called the Phoenix Nest. While this fighting pit is open all year round, it’s especially active on this day. Emperor Yandi’s birthday is the ninth day of the third month.
• The Literature Festival: Largely a local festival in Shi, the Literature Festival is in truth a different name for the Imperial Academy graduation ceremony. The academy grounds is first filled with stalls manned by the soon-to-be graduates presenting their final works of prose or poetry. Then at midday, the top ten students will present summaries of their works for all to hear. Finally, the academy principal announces that the students are worthy graduates and then open markets in the streets selling food and commodities for the families to gift their newly graduated son.

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Jianger-Kaan festivities mainly relate to the sowing season and the harvesting season, which due to the riverlands’ fertility happen twice per year. After the emperor allowed for the Month of Ancestors to be celebrated simultaneously with other festivals, the riverfolk have also taken up this custom.

• The Sowing Festival: Falls on the second month and the eighth month. A village wide celebration during which the many families come together to preserve what they have left in the form of wine, beer, preserves or other dishes. Animals are also typically slaughtered for this festival both to let the farmers eat themselves fat and strong, and to smoke and dry the meat for the long wait until the harvest.
• The Harvest Festival: Falls on the sixth month and the twelfth month. The whole village comes together to reap the fruits of their labour and enjoy it in the form of great feasts of noodles, steamed and baked goods and various stews and soups.

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Middlings and Esterlings share common celebrations. Additionally, they both celebrate Month of the Ancestors.

• The Harvest Festival (East): Quite similar to the harvest festival of the riverlands, except that the Esterlings don’t celebrate with a village-wide meal; the streets are rampant with drinking and song, but the dinner is eaten at home with one’s family. Falls on the seventh month.
• Nongri (‘Boorsdag’ or ‘Farmer’s Day’): Every last day of the week, all workers are exempt from work. While this usually isn’t treated as a celebration, it has its groundings in history where it stands as a stab back at the governor for imposing too much power over the artisans of the forge-cities.

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The Druïtha are the only ethnic group to not celebrate any Guzu holidays, keeping mostly to themselves with ancient religious celebrations venerating nature and its processes.

• Pilgrimage of the Groves: Occurs every year during the fifth to eighth months. Young Druïtha who are to be druids or witches go on a pilgrimage from grove to grove to ask the nature spirits’ blessings. During this time, the areas around the groves are host to markets, religious gatherings, theatre and music.
• The Mulberry Festival: This festival falls on the ninth month, right after the pilgrimage. This is the collective spinning and weaving of all the silk collected throughout the year from the mulberry moths. The fabrics are later stored and portioned out for the various tax quarters. The festival it especially a time for druid and witch apprentices to show that they have mastered the art of weaving, and weaving competitions are hosted with huge crowds.
• The Reforestation: Falls on the third month. Here the druids and witches gather those willing and go to plant trees in place of dead ones or recently chopped ones. This event often causes heated disputes with the Puzu elf peasants of the southern Heartlands who deforest their lands to make more farmland, only to find that Druïtha come back on their land to plant new ones the following year.

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Draconian…

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Mucklings have lost much of their culture over the past 900 years. What remains is but a shadow of the complex lifestyle they ones lead. However, through all the hardships and toils they’ve had to endure and still endure, there is one festival their masters cannot erase:

• Tadpoling: During the sixth month, when the tadpoles hatch, the mucklings throw great feasts where they eat hearty meals and throw the leftovers into the river or lake. Their tadpoles eat the leftovers and grow fat and healthy. What remains of the religious element that once played a huge role is now the local shaman wishing for emancipation and a new home for the mucklings.

Entertainment

Entertainment at court is largely limited to games, performances and competitions within the royal family, like archery competitions, riding tournaments, chariot races and many more. The exceptions to this are the Phoenix Nest and the Dayantai Opera Hall:
The Phoenix Nest:
Located in Shi, it is an enormous rectangular arena within the courtyard of what was once a massive military complex. There are weekly spars and gladiatorial fights both with and without weapons, and every month there is a huge chariot race, which is considered the height of entertainment among the nobles. There are even provincial teams, and the competitive spirit gets fierce when rival teams race.

Dayantai Opera Hall:
A massive theatre and musical complex under the open sky, where theatre troupés and bands come every months to play for the audience of the capital. All players must pass tests set by a board of judges to perform, but those that do have the opportunity to play before the imperial family. The best among them may be lucky enough to be hired as royal performers, work for which the pay is great and fame, greater.

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Around the realm, entertainment comes in a multitude of forms: Middlings will occasionally travel around the riverlands with circus troupés onboard; Esterling oral tradition comes with a career, where storytellers have high social status as both entertainers and teachers; Druïtha relax with music, dancing and games; Jianger-Kaan and other riverfolk over drink and party to entertain themselves; mucklings will have swimming and fishing competitions.
Furthermore, music is very important in the Gu-Wei empire, being appreciated by every culture that inhabits it. Typical instruments played include flutes and drums, but the Guzu have introduced various others such as the guqin and guzheng, two types of harps; the erhu, which is a two-stringed instrument; gongs and han drums, and more. Song written in any of the languages within the realm may find themselves to be quite popular with even the royal family if allowed to spread. Thanks to opportunities like those at the Dayantai Opera Hall, music can potentially let beggars become nobility.

Cuisine

While the different kinds of cuisine vary quite a lot throughout the land, all the ethnic groups of the empire focus their diets around large amounts of carbohydrates.
Western Cuisine (Jianger-Kaan and Western Heartlands):
Rice is a staple food of the west, being almost single-handedly responsible for the enormous and steady population growth. The riverfolk see rice as the basis for all other meals, and a typical day starts with a large bowl of rice, often served fried in egg with corn, peas and scallions. The wealthy may also eat steamed wheat buns stuffed with soy sauce fried meats.
The most important meal to the riverfolk, however, is lunch at midday. Due to the hot and moist climate, working the fields at this time of day becomes nigh self-torment. Therefore, people instead flock to the cooler inns and taverns for bowls of beef noodle soup, grilled and seasoned river fish or soy-fried eggplant on rice, eaten with a side of water buffalo milk and pineapple or coconut cakes. If there is room for more, the riverlanders usually eat rice until they’re full.
For supper, the riverfolk either eat at home or with their neighbours in the village centres. The typical dishes served are based on what the families grow in their fields: eggplant, cabbage, carrots, turnips, scallions, bok choy, soybeans, spinach and more, often seasoned with peppers of varying spiciness. These vegetables are commonly served with broiled or grilled fish. Jianger-Kaan cooking typically uses soybean oil or buffalo tallow to cook their food in large woks. This meal is the primary source of fiber for most riverlanders, where darker greens provide a nutrient-rich and filling alternative to denser grains. All of this is typically served with rice and, if the families can afford it or own water buffaloes or ducks or chickens, steak and eggs.
Other important parts of the riverfolk diet include fruits like watermelon, oranges, lychee and goji berries. Due to Elven influence, tea has also become a staple of the diet and is frequently drunk for supper or between meals. The access to soybeans has also lead to the Jianger-Kaan becoming adept tofu-makers, and the local mapo-tofu is known throughout the whole country.

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Eastern Cuisine (Esterling, Middling and Northern Druïtha):
Where rice is the staple of the west, wheat and millet form the basis of all food in the east. Furthermore, they incorporate to a much greater extent various meats and fats to support their hardworking lifestyle, chief among which is pork. Morning routines are similar to those in the west - breakfast consists of pork chops with sides of bread and millet gruel, typically eaten at home.
The first vegetables of the day are consumed around lunch, where the workhouses and taverns near workplaces (or the housewife if one is a farmer) typically serve salted pork, fried fish, pork buns or fresh bread with sides of carrots, boiled bok choy, fermented beans or sautéed spinach. Middlings typically switch the salted pork for even more fish, like lake catfish, carp, minnow or other species. Especially the Druïtha, but also Esterlings and Middlings, supplement lunch with various fruits like oranges, peaches and lychee, and roasted cashew nuts. These are typically also snacks throughout the day.
Supper is, like breakfast (and possibly lunch), enjoyed at home in the form of salted pork, fried pig’s fat or bacon, supplemented with either bread, wheat noodles or rice from the west. Occasionally, if the family has access to soybeans, tofu will also be made and served in exciting sauces.

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Northern Cuisine(Huangzu and Puzu):
Elven food differs from the rest of the regional specialities in that it has a heavy reliance on various spices and flavourings to achieve greatness. Without the added complexity of spices, Guzu cuisine is largely restricted to rice, meats and vegetables; however, Guzu are expertly familiar with the local spices growing in their area, and make full use of them. These spices are cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel seeds and numbing pepper, and together they lift all elven dishes to a much higher culinary level than their peers, save perhaps for the Jianger-Kaan. The Puzu fishermen also produce fish sauce from the lakefish, which provide a much needed umami boost to otherwise uninteresting meats.
While the Huangzu and Puzu are radically different in terms of social standing, their diets haven’t diverged too much during their 100-200 years of separation, the larger differences being mainly due to differences in wealth.
A day typically starts with a piece of fried fish, a bowl of rice and a bowl of hot soup or light porridge, like millet gruel. The nobility will usually have long, drawn-out breakfasts with tea instead of soup or porridge, which they’ll drink for nearly two hours every day. Puzu farmers may downplay the fish in favour of more carbohydrates in the form of more rice, corn or Esterling bread.
Lunch to the Puzu is similar to the riverfolk’s - around midday, most Puzu Elves will head to the nearest tavern or inn (or foodstall, if they work in a city) to have grilled duck, chili-cooked fish, soy-braised beef and more, served with cold noodles in a vinegary soup and bok choy woked in oil. The Huangzu have a similar diet, but the quality is substantially improved upon, and the food is often served with wine brewed from rice, wheat or fruit and supplemented with cakes and sweets. Seeing as they never leave the palace complexes, they never get to experience the outside foodstalls of Shi’s streets.
Supper is eaten at home, typically consisting of spicy fish, beef or pork served with a side of rice and chopped lotus cores, if they can afford it. If not, the lotus cores are swapped for bok choy or spinach. After supper, even Puzu elves enjoy a long break with hot tea and, if they can afford it, sweets in the form of pineapple cakes or biscuits. Huangzu will typically towards the end of the day bring out heavier wines if the occasion calls for it (if it doesn’t, some will make an occasion), brewed in great clay pits for a whole year. The product is known as baijiu.

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Southern Cuisine (Druïtha and Draconian):
The Druïtha kitchens are perhaps the dullest, seen from the perspective of the rest of the country. Many Druïtha eat their food raw and unprocessed, and small groups hold on to ancient traditions that forbid them from eating anything they haven’t caught themselves, which makes their eating patterns erratic. The majority, however, have taken to northern cultural influence and cook their food in manners resembling the Guzu and Esterling cuisines.
For breakfast, Druïtha typically eat fruit and nuts to start the day. If they have access to it, they may also eat dried meats or drink millet gruel. However, the distance between towns is long in Druïthim and Dûna-de-Hama, so inter-village trade is typically erratic and unpredictable.
Lunch provides the Druïtha with one of their main protein sources: fried silkworms. Typically served in a bowl by themselves or on rice if available, these provide a much needed protein boost in an otherwise wanting diet. Many choose to drink this with coconut water or a local drink known as éonimhir, which is milk mixed with animal blood, commonly boar or cow, if available.
Supper consists of additional fats in the form of nuts and sugars from fruits, nowadays typically fried and tossed with soy sauce, rice and bits of bird or rabbit meat.

Draconians, on the other hand, are carnivores, and eat meat imported from neighbouring provinces or whatever they can catch in the lands bordering the desert.

Education

Education for everyone is among the chief accomplishments of Emperor Yandi. After the Imperial Academy was founded in 759 by Emperor Guxiong as a way of educating Guzu elves to become proper bureaucrats, the only applicants to be accepted were Huangzu. In 768, five years after Emperor Guxiong had been overthrown by Yandi of the Wu dynasty, the Emperor decreed that Puzu and even human nobility would also be allowed to attend, provided they could pay for their own tuition. By 770, all restrictions on race and class were removed and whomsoever had the means could send their sons to attend the academy (women are not allowed to attend still).
Students who are enrolled begin their studies at eight years old. There they are given a bed in a twelve-man dormitory, which they will sleep in for the next ten years of their education. Classes begin at dawn and finish at sundown, after which the student will be given assignments, usually in the form of essays, poetry, painting, speechcraft or reading and reciting. In a seven day week, students are given one day off, which better be spent studying if they want to pass the year.

Syllabus:

Year 1-4: The student is taught to read and write guwen. By year two, they are expected to be able to read and write commentaries showing understanding of old poems and essays; by year three, articles and philosophical documents. Guanyan is the oral language used in teaching and the students no longer have dedicated classes to oral guanyan after year three; by that time, they are expected to know it fluently. At the end of year four, each student is given an exam which involves remembering ten passages from a set of essays and articles written by the royal family throughout Guzu history. The list changes every year and the exam form is recitation of the passages to a panel of three teachers. Remembering at least seven out of the ten passages flawlessly by heart is a requirement to pass; however, a passing grade is rarely considered good enough.
Year 5-8: After passing the final exam of year four, students are taught imperial history, philosophy, mathematics, natural sciences, astrology, medicine, military theory, literature and politics. They are given access to the Academy library and study halls and encouraged to delve into literature outside of what they focus on in class. During these years, each semester has an exam at the end which tests a subset of everything the students have learned throughout the semester, culminating in a final exam at the end of the eighth year which challenges the student to demonstrate their knowledge of everything in an oral presentation before their teachers in each subject. The students are given the final two months of the final semester to prepare, and each exam may last a period of time based on an hourglass used by the teachers (roughly an hour and a half). In order to pass, the student must adequately present the subjects’ most important lessons with examples and answer any questions posed by the teachers without fault. Any deviations from this may result in a failure.
Year 9-10: By this point, the student is considered adept at the key subjects that a statesman is expected to know. During the final two years, students are to begin work on their final thesis which will be presented at the Literature Festival. The student is free to choose his subject from those he’s been taught in the years at the Academy, even being allowed to compose his own work of poetic literature. The most commonly chosen subjects, however, are medicine and history. Philosophy is a subject students commonly start with, until their supervisor berates them for challenging the official imperial doctrine, at which point their careers may be in danger. At the end of the tenth year, the student presents his work to his supervisor and receives feedback and a final evaluation of their school performance as a whole. The evaluation takes into account three criteria: Academic performance, overall conduct and degree of expression of Guzu gentlemanliness, so-called junzi.
It should be noted that to fail at any exam, even semester exams, automatically leads to expulsion with no recompensation for already paid tuition that now will be lost. However, tuition is a yearly expense, so to fail in the beginning of the year is a lot worse than to fail at the end. A student is allowed to enroll at the Academy and fail a total of two times, though most who fail the first time never return on account of both the academic and economic pressure.
All books and tools used for tuition are to be paid by the student himself or the student’s family. The Academy provides only rice paper to write on. Theft is not uncommon, but punishable by beatings or, if the offense is grave enough, expulsion.

Junzi - the Elven Gentleman:

Junzi is a key term repeated throughout the whole education process. In addition to a formal education, the student is also taught the cultural aspects of the junzi - the ideal gentleman, portraying every quality expected of a man of the Gu-Wei state. Early on, students are taught the importance of diligence in one’s work and to avoid temptations like bullying, cheating and procrastination. However, due to the immense pressure to succeed as well as a thorough culture of competition, the former two are typically ignored unless the culprits are caught. Students are then taught the proper way to dress and address classmates, superiors, royalty, women, children and many more. They are taught to use self-deprecating pronouns about themselves and respectful, uplifting words to address others. Finally, students are taught proper form when greeting, writing, eating, bowing, kowtowing and more.
As students grow older and master the basic concepts of a proper student, they are taught to express themselves before crowds, how to develop a sense of charisma and rhetoric, and traditions for bestowing gifts and arranging feasts and buying food and drink. They are taught to distinguish poor wine from good, and what sorts of food are acceptable when hosting other statesmen, superiors, subjects and royalty. They are taught to lead, and a select few exceptional students are given opportunities to lead social or construction-related projects in or around Shi.

The Imperial Academy of the Gu-Wei Empire (Front Gates)

Architecture

Guzu architecture is one which has spread through the realm with great success, being adopted by the majority of ethnic groups throughout the realm. Typical traits for buildings is bilateral symmetry to signify balance and harmony, as well as strict adherence to the four winds: The city of Shi is built like a grid in that all buildings either face the south or the east. While this system fall apart towards the city fringes in the slum areas, the emphasis on city planning has spread to newer cities throughout the whole realm.

The capital of Shi

City Grid

Buildings are typically built on slightly raised platforms. The main material used is wood, though larger structures such as temples, palaces, governmental offices and forts are primarily constructed from dark gray clay bricks or stone. The roofs are commonly supported by large wooden beams, and the timber frames used to keep the structure’s integrity connect primarily through joinery and dowelling alone - nails, glue or other adhesives are seldom needed. Walls are typically thin and movable as sliding doors, as the beams carry all the weight of the roof. The roof itself is gaubled with inclines ending in points at the tips. This style of building now dominates new architecture throughout the realm, with two types of housing complexes being the most common.

• The courtyard (yuan): A small enclosure typically reserved for one family, containing houses for servants, kitchens, stables (if the family has the means), sleeping quarters, studies, dining hall and more, all surrounding a central courtyard with a paved core surrounded by grass and flowers. The yuan is built facing the south to absorb as much sunlight as possible, while the northern winds blowing in from the Midland Sea are left blowing at the back wall of the house.
  
  The yuan

  
• The sky well (tianjing): More common in the west and south, where the heat gets intense in the summers. The tianjing is a large, circular (or rectangular) building complex that houses a community of multiple families. The term “sky well” comes from the large open courtyard in the centre of the complex, which allows for ventilation. Furthermore, the roofs cave inwards so rainwater may be collected in a well in the centre of the complex.
  
  Sky well complex

  

The architecture is particularly popular in the west, where is has largely replaced the traditional bamboo huts the riverfolk used to live in. Today, cities like Jiangla, Jianger, Kaan and Dosr-Ung are centres of Guzu city planning and expansion.

Jiangla, provincial capital Guokounan (Southern Riverlands)

In the east, the architecture is prominent, but due to an already strong urban population, many of the cities have failed to adopt Guzu-style city planning, expanding in more natural sprawls. Furthermore, some local Esterling groups regularly express their preference for their people’s traditional stone huts. These share a limited number of traits with the Guzu architecture.

Esterling stone huts

Druïtha architecture has adopted the fewest traits from the Guzu, taking a rather conservative approach to housing in general. Druïtha traditionally live in burrows between the roots of their sacred groves, the deepest of which stretch nearly fifty ten down into the ground, or in small huts fashioned from mud. However, due to increasing influence from their neighbours, more and more Druïtha move closer to Hi-Dûna in Dûna-de-Hama province in hopes that they may live in an actual houses. These typically belong to the younger generations, which are heavily condemned by their elders in Caitir in Druïthim province. Caitir is the largest Druïtha settlement which does not contain a single house. It is a collection of holy groves and home to several thousands who live in burrows or just around in the trees. The temperature makes heating obsolete, so the inhabitants need only protection from the elements, which the trees will occasionally be able to grant by themselves.

Military

The Gu-Weian military is largely reliant on conscription for the majority of their armed forces, the base for which consists of a subset of every ethnic group in the realm except the Druïtha. Roughly 210 000 individuals are professional soldiers and mainly occupy themselves with maintaining the borders or keeping the peace. These professional soldiers are typically trained at a regional military base from the age of fifteen, and most remain soldiers throughout their whole lives. The salary for a Gu-Weian soldier starts at twenty bei a day and increases by ten with every five years of service time, encouraging prolonged stay (up to a limit of 80 bei a day, enough for oneself and one’s family to live quite comfortable in a lesser townhouse or at a large farmstead in the countryside if they spent nothing else for a year). Many soldiers send their money home to their families through the imperial postal service, but a fair number also live as kings by themselves in peace time. The salary for conscripted soldiers is considerably lower, topping out at three bei at the most - this is, however, still more than most businesses can afford to pay their workers.
As a whole, the majority of Gu-Weian military funds go to their navy: Guzu warships are typically large and well-staffed with skilled archers and lethal artillery; this does make them extremely expensive, however, and is one of the key reasons as to why they cannot sustain a larger standing army.

Chain of Command

The chain of command in the Gu-Wei army is divided into four levels: The head of command, the commanding ground officers, assisting officers and veteran troops. These have different names depending on which section of the military they belong to:

• Navy: Admiral - Fleet Commander - Ship Captain - Phoenixes of the Blue Flames. The admiral functions as an overall commander and director of all naval forces, delegating orders to the fleet commander, who acts these out with the subset of ships granted to him. Each ship is commanded by a captain, and each crew ideally has a small squadron of Phoenixes, elite warriors whose experience serves to guide the conscripts in a conflict.
• Army and cavalry: General - Commander - Lieutenant - Phoenixes of the Red Flame. Both of these sections are led by the same commanders: Generals who lay down battleplans and delegate orders to their commanders. Commanders oversee a section of the army, like the cavalry or the infantry, and have a large number of lieutenants to move smaller companies according to the generals’ plans. Making up the bulk of the elite cavalry, as well as the main sources of experience to pass on to the conscripts, are Phoenixes of the Red Flame.
• Artillery: General - Artillery Commander - Archer-Lieutenant - Phoenixes of the Yellow Flame. The generals analyse enemy positions and the surrounding terrain - locations of forests, canyons, hilltops and so on - and draft up plans for placement of archers, crossbowmen, catapults and rocket artillery. The artillery commander delegates the troops and equipment accordingly, typically sending archer-lieutenants into forests with a company of archers to ambush the enemy early on before retreating while larger artillery, commanded either by the commanders or by the generals themselves, bombard the enemy giving chase. Phoenixes of the Yellow Flame are the military’s rangers, elites specialising in assassinations, stealth and scouting out terrain and enemy positions.

The key requirement to sit in the chain of command (Phoenixes exempt) is to have completed an education at the Imperial Academy and to have focused one’s final thesis on military theory. To apply for a position at the chain of command, one’s thesis will be read and evaluated. If found satisfactory, the candidate will be given the rank of cadet and put through a three year intensive training program at a selected military institutions that delves deeper into warfare as a subject. The cadet learns of the various different battlefields throughout the realm; he learns to fight to a degree (though this is expected to be trained on one’s own accord); he learns to ride horses, navigate ships and to survive in the wild. At graduation, the cadet is promoted to the assisting officer rank. However, only those of the Huangzu can ever be promoted to the rank of general or admiral. This assures that the command of the military always stays in the hands of the imperial family.

Phoenix Veterans

Phoenix is the highest rank a professional soldier can reach without attending the Imperial Academy. It is given to soldiers who have served in the army for at least fifteen years. They are given the highest salary and the military will subsidise their enrollment at the Imperial Academy if they wish. Their rank gives them limited command, up to one company (100 soldiers), and they may take act as mentors for other soldiers to help them become phoenixes. Armourers, weaponsmiths and bowyers all line up to prepare equipment for Phoenixes on account of their deep pockets.

Navy

The Navy is the core of the Gu-Weian armed forces, centred around the use of great warjunks manned by archers and armed with heavy artillery like three-stringed ballistae, catapults and rocket artillery, flanked by lesser ships manned by more archers and boarding crews. The warjunks are plated around the edges of the deck and the deck is constantly kept wet during combat to avoid fireworks sparks setting the ship aflame. While the vessels are incredibly dangerous at a distance, the warjunks are very vulnerable up close - especially to fire ships and fire arrows. The lesser ships are therefore tasked with keeping assailants away from the warjunks.

Gu-Weian Warjunk

Gu-Weian Light Junk

Warjunk flanked by light archer boats

Cavalry

Gu-Weian cavalry is small and underfunded on account of the empire’s terrain. While the bare open areas around Shi allow for cavalry charges and even chariots, the vast majority of the land within Gu-Wei borders is unsuitable for wagons or shock attacks on account of being too densely forested or too soft of ground. Still, a small number of elites make up an elite group of cataphracts, tasked with defending the generals on the field and flanking enemy forces if possible. Cataphracts are heavy cavalry armed with lances and coated in thick armour to withstand even arrow fire.
While chariots are being slowly phased out along with the remainder of the cavalry, they are still used in races and to a very limited degree in warfare to carry around officers and wounded.

Gu-Weian Chariot

Infantry

Gu-Weian infantry contains the fewest professionals of any military section. Being nearly entirely conscripted, the infantry are typically far from skilled, consisting of peasant levies given halberds and very light armour and tasked with keeping the enemy armies away from the artillery. Typical weapons include the ji halberd and spears.

Artillery

Artillery is to a large extent considered the pride of the military, regardless of its size relative to other sections, as well as the amount of funds spent on it. This is in large part due to the advances in fire and powder-based weaponry. Black powder is made with Esterling charcoal, saltpeter made using bat guano found in the various ancient Druïtha burrows in the Heartlands, and sulfur harvested from salt pits in the southern regions.
Artillery has the second fewest number of professionals, the vast majority of soldiers being conscripts given bows and crossbows. Siege weaponry comes in the form of triple crossbows, catapults with various forms of ammunition, and rocket artillery. The triple crossbow packs enough of a punch to pierce fortified stone walls, and the rocket artillery will set alight any city built with thatch roofs. The catapult is typically loaded with balls of hay rolled in pitch and lit aflame.

Triple crossbow

Rocket artillery

Manpowered catapults

Fortifications and Regional Bases

The Gu-Wei state have a number of heavily fortified positions throughout the land, the majority of which are now staffed at a minimum. There can mainly be found within each regional capital and serve as a base of operation for local peacekeepers and soldiers. Some forts also lie on the borders - there’s one on the northern border with the Zentauri.

Government

The governmental structure of Gu-Wei starts with the Emperor on the top, for he makes any and all ultimate decisions and his word is law. The majority of decisions made throughout the realm, however, are not important enough to reach so far up. At the very bottom are the various tribal chiefs and town mayors, whose role it is to run the villages and towns and make certain the tax collectors’ due is paid. Overseeing the chiefs and mayors is a centralised department of statesmen under the governor. These statesmen typically hold office in a larger city council, reporting all noteworthy details about daily affairs up to to the governor in the provincial capital. The governor, with the counsel of his council, then makes province-wide decisions on work plans, spending, local taxation, placement of peacekeepers and more.

Furthermore, governors function as local judges in court of law in high-level criminal cases, where they judge in accordance with imperial law. However, provincial laws and paragraphs can be added into consideration in certain areas. As an overall goal, stability and harmony in a province is paramount to a governor - instability in one’s region is looked upon as an outbreak of plague that must be contained at all costs. As such, the Emperor stresses that the government maintain a strong, yet not too invasive, presence in all provinces - the people should not live under a pressure that could foment within them thoughts of revolution, but they should know that such thoughts will be met with death.

For these reasons, the governor functions to a large degree as a diplomat between the Gu-Wei state and the myriad of ethnic groups within its borders. Most of the time, this goes without issue, as the peoples of the various regions are well-acquainted with the iron fist of the peacekeepers; however, on occasion, no harmonious solution can be found, at which point the governor will ask the Emperor for further instruction. Up until now, the most common solution has been culling of the uprisers.

It should be noted that while, as mentioned above, any male citizen can potentially become a governor, it is incredibly hard to maintain one’s position as one without heartfelt conversion to the imperial doctrine. The Emperor keeps an office of scholars in every province whose job it is to ensure that the provincial governor himself remains loyal to the throne in Shi. This secret police is particularly active in Druïthim and Ithram, where the people demand that their governor be one of their own.

Due to the Emperor’s largely detached role in government beyond the occasional executive order, the Imperial family largely never leaves the palace of Shi, except to go to the summer palace in Red Clay province. This has continued for nearly a century, and those of the Imperial family not attached to the military (and even a number of those) have no concept of the actual state of the realm beyond their walls.

Religion

Gu-Wei religion is first divided in two: The Imperial Doctrine and the Honoured Faiths. The Imperial Doctrine, while primarily being a work to legitimise the rulership of the Huangzu, carries with it heavy religious symbolism that manifests itself as Guism, the worship and honouring of the Muha Empire and past Gu-Wei emperors. The Honoured Faiths are three broad generalisations of the Renzu faiths: Jiangjiao (riverfolk faith), dongjiao (eastern faith) and dujiao (Druïthism). Any other faith beyond these three is considered superstition and is forbidden from being practiced in the open. To control this, the state keeps tight control of all religious gatherings with the help of specialised peacekeepers familiar with local customs and rituals. Any deviations from these outside of the private home results in prison sentences.

Guism

In Guism, there are no gods, but ancient kings and heroes that have been venerated to godhood. There are to be given sacrifices in the form of food, commodities or live animals every month, lest they bring misfortune and instability upon the realm. The Month of the Ancestors is the most important time of the year. Since this religion is part of the Imperial Doctrine, all governors and students at the Imperial Academy are required to practice it. This has caused the majority of those in state positions, regardless of ethnicity, to pass on the faith to their family and peers. Today, Guism is the most widespread faith in the Empire, often mixing into local faiths.

Riverfolk religion

While Guism has replaced many of the original deities in the ancient riverfolk faiths, the small collection of different, yet quite similar, sects spread throughout the riverlands keep a certain set of traditions that Guism has yet to wash out.

• Veneration of livestock: All farm animals are sacred to the riverfolk, venerated for the food they give in the form of eggs, milk and meat, as well as for feathers, bones and hides. Animals are to be treated as well as people up until the point when they are to be slaughtered, which is done as quickly as possible to let the animal feel the minimum necessary amount of pain. The animal’s skull is then added to the family grave.
• Reincarnation: The riverfolk believe that all living creatures have spirits which, upon the owner’s death, will enter a newborn somewhere else in the riverlands and continue its life until a new host must be found.

Along the northern borders of the riverlands, a small minority worships the Zentauri faith. These live in hiding as their faith is illegal under Imperial law.

Eastern religion

Here, too, Guism has made a considerable dent in the local faiths. Luckily, the Guist concept of ancestral sacrifice to avoid misfortune coincides well with the native belief that not pleasing one’s family patron god or matron goddess will lead to the downfall of the whole clan. Esterlings, and to a certain degree Middlings, are incredibly proud of their heritage and clan identity is at times more important than wealth and position. This reflects itself in their religion, which almost universally operates by venerating their clan originator, whether that be an ancient mother or father. This person is referred to as a family’s patron god or matron goddess. While the concept used to go much deeper, with various rituals depending on the wishes behind the sacrifices, Guism has watered out many of the old rituals, and the two faiths are functionally the same with different semantics.

The exceptions to this rule can be found deep in the forests of eastern Origo and southern Ithram, where isolation from the outside world has preserved the ancient faiths of Esterling religion to the point where it no longer is considered part of the faith and instead supersition. These esterlings have public alters and arenas were different clans can publicly sacrifice and duel in the names of their patron and matron gods.

Druïthism

Druïthism is likely the most well-preserved faith on the whole among the ethnic religions. It has large geographic variations, but the general gist revolves around preservation of the sacred groves. The sacred groves are centres of communication between the mortal world and the divine beyond, according to the faith, and the whole society is structured around them. The most popular occupation for a Druïtha is that of the priest, which are respectively called druid and witch for man and woman. These are responsible for tending the groves, gathering food from around the forest and meditating on the nature of creation and life. Due to the scarceness of food in the region compared to their neighbours, Druïthism teaches asceticism for all its worshippers, both to keep them from sin (which for many is basically defined as anything their neighbours would do) and overconsumption.

What has created the largest rift between Druïthism and Guism is that Druïthism forbids its believers from seeking divinity from other sources than the sacred groves. This is why Druïtha who go to the Imperial Academy either keep up a convincing act or are forced to give up their faith and be forever shunned by their people.

Beyond these faiths, the Muckling faith is largely lost to time and is today considered superstition by the authorities. The Draconians to the south are given diplomatically-granted exceptions to the superstition rule, but their religions are not accepted anywhere else in the country beyond the regions of Drakka, Shajiang,the Deadlands and parts of Longway.

Economy

The Gu-Wei empire is, above all else, an empire built on internal and external trade. Despite the growing incompetence of the Imperial government, the economy of Gu-Wei is running incredibly strong. Being an agricultural powerhouse thanks to the riverlands to the west, Gu-Wei exports rice by the tons to the other countries of the continent, the most important customers being the Tsorodar to the south and the Thalassians to the east. Internally, the economy is fueled by the exchange of Esterling iron for riverfolk rice, most carried on Middling ships and transacted in Elven ports. The exploitation of Shajiang and Deadland salt is entirely nationalised by the state and distributed in exchange for a salt tax to avoid salt deficiency in the more populated areas of the country.

Jianger-Kaan ricefields

Luxury commodities also make up a sizeable chunk of the Gu-Wei economy, though these are largely traded internally. The most important luxury ware to the Gu-Wei is Druïtha silk, the value of the trade making up as much as a fifth of gross domestic product. It’s not only consumed at home, but also serves as an exception to the rule by being in great demand internationally, too. Demand is kept high by the slow-paced production, as well, so prices for silk remain higher still. The gemstone industries of the south make up a much smaller percentage of GDP, but are considered culturally important to the Guzu, and are thus artificially expensive despite the large deposits.

Tax Policy

Being the main source of income for the state, the tax policy demands that every province offer a percentage of their quarterly production to the state’s use. This percentage varies depending on province and produce, with Red Clay paying up to three fifths of its iron produced per quarter on account of the massive scale of production, while Drakka pays measly ten percent of the crops they produce, as the overall yield is very low on account of poor soil. As the tax primarily affects communities rather than the individual, villages either grow closer or split apart; when the tax collector comes, one can either band together to pay or root out those who cannot contribute.

This method of taxation isn’t without its faults, and depending on what product is taxed, the tax collectors can cause local famines, tool shortages or loss of business. On more than one occasion have riverfolk villages starved because their crops are taxed, while Esterling villages’ larders are full as they pay their tax in iron.

Taxes is handled by a small ministry under the provincial governor, and everything they collect is stored in the provincial capital or in storehouses in other centres of commerce if the distance is too great.

Trade Policy

As a whole, the government tries not to interfere too much with the regional trade, as the routes that already have been established already provide a most harmonious outcome. However, any ship bringing wares from another province must pay tariffs to the local provincial government before they may bring their wares onto the dock. These tariffs vary depending on the ware, with the grain tariffs being practically non-existent and the tariffs on Elven jewelry being so high that it’s almost improfitable to sell them to anyone but the richest of nobles. This also counts for international trade, with tariffs on Tsorodar minerals being lowered as a show of good faith.

Imports

Tsorodar sugarcane is almost like a drug to the Gu-Wei nobles, and is in the highest demand. Honey makes a close second, as the smokey flavours of southern honey is especially popular among the riverland gentry and nobility. Minerals like salt, iron, copper and others are also important. FInally, due to its properties of being thinner and translucent, Tsorodar silk is occasionally bought to be used in speciality products, such as hems, veils and undergarments.

Territory

Legend:

• Orange dot with black centre: Imperial capital
• Orange dot with red centre: Provincial capital
• Orange dot without centre: Large settlement with at least 500 000 inhabitants.

Guanyan names of provinces and short introduction

On the map, the province names are written as they are referred to by their local populations. However, the Guzu refer to them by their names in guanyan. These are:

• Beiguokou (N. Riverlands): Provincial capital is Dosr-Ung. Second most populous province in the country. Drier than the south, but still quite humid. Largely flat.
• Nanguokou (S. Riverlands): Provincial capital is Jiangla. Most populous province in the country. Incredibly humid and warm with soil fertility that is replenished every year by floods. Flat.
• Longwei (Longway): Provincial capital is Longway. Hot and humid region with the majority of its population being concentrated in the north. Dries out the further south you go. Borders Tsorodar. Hilly towards the south.
• Longjia (Drakka): Provincial capital is Tazakk. Dry and hostile environment that supports a small group of Draconians, largely immigrants and escapees from Tsorodar.
• Jiangdi (Jianger): Provincial capital is Jianger. Hot region with occasional dry seasons caused by desert winds. A centre for growth of grapes, dates and wheat. Heavily forested in the north.
• Guoxin (Heartlands): Provincial capital is Chang’an. Heavily populated in the north with almost no permanent settlements in the south. Largely reliant on the Midland Sea for proteins and fats, but also produces large yields of agriculture and livestock products in the northern half. Very warm with cooling lake winds in the north.
• Shiwei (Greater Shi): Provincial capital is Shi. The capital province and home to the largest city in the empire. Has little to no proper food production by itself and is entirely reliant on imports from its surrounding provinces. The fringes of Greater Shi are home to farms akin to those found in the Heartlands, but these don’t come close to producing the amount of food necessary to feed the capital. The majority of the province consists of small towns and villages surrounding the capital proper.
• Duyi (Druïthim): Provincial capital is Caitir. The whole province is one great, largely untouched jungle. Simultaneously the richest province on account of the silk trade, and the poorest as almost all of the profits are collected by the provincial governor in Caitir. Incredibly warm and humid.
• Duhan (Dûna-de-Hama): Provincial capital is Hi-Dûna. The home province of the only Druïtha trading port, through which almost 99% of all silk produced in the realm flows. A great deal of the previously untouched jungle here has been removed to make way for the steadily expanding provincial capital, as well as other villages which house Esterling immigrant workers.
• Dasha (The Deadlands): Provincial capital is Sandcleft. The second least populated province, though an incredibly important one. Home to the largest salt mine in the empire, the Deadlands large serve as a penal province for prisoners and slaves. Rocky and dry, it contains vast gem mines, as well, making it an incredibly rich province despite its purpose.
• Shajiang (Shajiang): Provincial capital is Graystone Keep. The least populated province. Shajiang also carries a status as a penal province, but whereas the Deadlands actually attracts a few law-abiding citizens on account of some fertile land in the north, Shajiang is nearly completely without fertile land, relying on food from Origo to sustain itself. Its main exports are salt and gems.
• Nandi (Sunnaland): Provincial capital is Norrabi. An agricultural centre in the east, Sunnabi serves as the main source of food for the citizens of Dûna-de-Hama and much of the east. While they don’t have the same fertile soil replenishment as the Riverlands, much of the realm’s food is produced here.
• Zhongdi (Midland): Provincial capital is Midta. Most populated province in the east, though in large part because of how the border is drawn. The provincial capital is the second largest trade port after Shi. Temperate and comfortably warm towards the north with much warmer and more humid regions in the sound.
• Hongtu (Red Clay): Provincial capital is Amarra. Centre of Esterling industry and home of the largest forge-city, Amarra. The province name comes from the iron-rich soil, which collects and forms rust deposits in the various swamps and bogs. Wet and humid landscape.
• Wugu (Origo): Provincial capital is Longon. A province which prosperity is divided near-perfectly down the middle: The west is advanced and well-connected to the rest of the empire; the east is considered backwards and underdeveloped, many living in much the same way as their ancestors did centuries ago. This is due to the nigh sudden appearance of thick forests halfway through the province, and these endless woods now feed a powerful charcoal industry in the province.
• Yilan (Ithram): Provincial capital is Estenkampt. Like Origo, Ithram is also considered quite backwards as more than sixty percent of its landmass is covered in nearly impenetrable jungle. The provincial capital sits, however, on the rivers connected to old Muha, so it’s considered a vital part of the empire’s cultural exchange with its roots.

Terrain

Legend:

• Skyblue stripes: Wetlands.
• Green stripes: Dense forests.
• Blue stripes on the Midland Sea: Fishing grounds.
• Red-marked gray triangles: Iron deposit.
• Blue-marked gray triangles: Gem deposit.
• White-marked gray triangles: Salt pit.
• Green dots: Sacred Druïtha grove.

The west is endless fertile wetland: easy to defend, impossible to attack. The heartlands and south-centre are comprised of thick, impenetrable forests that offer little aid to any larger force. This impedes development in the area severely and trade within the region is rare and difficult. Typical crops include rice, wheat, soy, eggplants, cabbage, carrots, corn, peas, scallions, pineapples, coconuts and many more.

Riverlands rice fields

The east is a province rich in natural iron deposits littered throughout the multitude of swamps and bogs. The so-called ‘iron sludge’ is a staple of the province. There is also a charcoal industry to feed the fires of the forge-cities. Crops grown include wheat, millet, carrots, soy, bok choy and many more. Additionally, there is a small pipeweed industry in the fringes of the territory, though these aren’t legal under imperial law.

The south and southeast are areas poor in terms of food and water, but rich in jewels, salt and other minerals. To a large extent, these are provinces for slaves, Draconians and other creatures ill-suited for the rest of the empire’s core.

The Midland Sea offers much in terms of trade routes and fish.

There are various monsters throughout the realm, especially deep inside the forests of Ithram, Origo and Druïthim. These have never been recorded by Imperial statesmen, however, and are therefore considered by the Empire’s nobles to be the product of local superstitions.

In terms of regular beasts, the central realm is home to tigers and rhinos, many of which are hunted for their hides and bones. The forests of Druïthim are supposedly home to several herds of jungle elephant, but due to overhunting, these haven’t been seen for years.

Factions

• The Gloch’ach’ribb: A small group of rebellious Mucklings in the slums of Shi. In secret, these rebels seek to unite their scattered people and carve out a homeland for the Mucklings somewhere by the Midland Sea. They work through hidden gatherings in the unspeakable ghettos through which none of the city guards dare or care to patrol. There, these Mucklings gather whatever weapons, tools, food and materials they can smuggle away from work so they one day can bring about their revolution. The Gloch’ach’ribb is currently unknown to the imperial forces, and the Mucklings very much aim to keep it that way. They are led by the youngest shaman among their kind, Ribbigus Croak, a youth of nineteen who apprenticed under the last true Muckling high priest, Uch’sochoch Frokk.
• The Commission on Local Faiths and Customs (the Commission): A secret police dedicated to control the religious beliefs of the empire’s populations. They have known offices in every major city throughout the realm, but the majority of their membres live as undercover spies among the citizens. The organisation is managed and led by Puzu nobles elected by the Emperor, but the spies are human, various individuals who have either been bribed, beaten or blackmailed into service. A third group within the organisation are known as Inquisitors, who upon the discovery of illegal superstition will to the best of their ability see to it that it is never seen again. One final mission the Commission is tasked with is hiding the existence of monsters. They do this not by exterminating them, but by silencing whomsoever spreads word of their existence.
• The Alchemists’ Guild: A suborganisation of the Imperial Academy, the Alchemists’ Guild are the minds behind the Gu-Wei weapons development and study of medicine. Made mainly up of Puzu Elves with a small subset of humans, they pursue military and natural research in the cellars of the Imperial Academy. They are not a secret organisation, but a number of their projects require discretion.
• The Blue Phoenix Company: The largest shipping and trading company in Midland, responsible for nearly half of all ware transports in the realm. Their company headquarters is located in Midta and their shipping fleet is the largest one belonging to a single company, even outnumbering the old Royal Trading Fleet, simply to the point where the Empire has hired the Blue Phoenix Company on a long-term contract. The head of the company is Lord Unsur Quam (Yunsu Kuan in guanyan), a Middling nobleman with tight connections to the governors of both Shi and Midland and, though it’s not proven, the Tiger’s Fang Triads.
• Snaketongue Slavers: The Snaketongue Slavers is a small family of Draconians who have been given permission to oversee the extraction of minerals in the Deadlands and Shajiang provinces, headed by the Bozak Zakkhashar (Sha Kushang in guanyan), a ruthlessly calculating individual with little sense for other things beyond efficiency and profits. While Zakkhashar’s ancestors used to hunt and catch humans, elves, Draconian runaways and kobolds and employ them as slaves, the slavers have a prisoner exchange agreement with the Gu-Wei government, so that all prisoners sentenced to a life in prison will be sent to the penal provinces to work. That way, they receive an almost constant stream of slaves to replace those who die in the heat of the deserts.
• Tiger’s Fang Triads: Criminal organisation located in Midta. When Midta became the second largest trading port in the empire, it also grew into an arena within which outcompeting one’s rivals could mean the difference between prosperity and bankruptcy. This is where the Tiger’s Fang comes in - originally a group of thugs hired by firms to disrupt competition, it has since grown into an organised institution in the trade city’s underworld, whose support in vital when pursuing trade deals, profits or even the position as local governor. Today, the Tiger’s Fang runs a multitude of prostitution rings, winehouses, gambling dens and debt collection firms. After the Blue Phoenix Company, theirs is the second largest business presence in the region, making them practically untouchable to the local peacekeepers through bribes, threats and loopholes in local laws. Has a fierce rivalry with the Black Dragon Triads. Led by a council of Middling oligarchs known as the Eight.
• Black Dragon Triads: Criminal organisation based in Shi. While not as large as the Tiger’s Fang, the Black Dragon Triads have a number of friends in considerably higher places, rumoured to even have connections to Prince Yanqiang. The Black Dragon Triads started their endeavours as thugs in a past governor’s employ, tasked with silencing rivals and critics. In the governor’s employ, they grew from a simple group of ruffians to a small army with deep ties to pipeweed and wine distribution. When the governor who had employed them eventually grew frightened of them, the triads had him replaced with another. Even while they are right under the nose of the imperial family, the triads’ connection to the prince makes them untouchable. Has a fierce rivalry with the Tiger's Fang Triads. The head of the organisation is a Puzu nicknamed ‘the Immortal’.

Characters

Emperor Yandi of the Wu Dynasty: Previously seen as a genius reformer mature for the throne, the last century hasn’t been kind to him. Over the course of the last hundred years, rivalry at court, the loss of his favourite concubine and a growing fascination for lecherous behaviour has led the emperor to shirk his duties as a leader and instead pursue the women of the court.
Race: Guzu Elf (Huangzu).
Family:

• Prince Yanri: Eldest son and heir. An ambitious character with little love for his father. A prodigy in the field of statecraft, the prince does whatever he can in his power to keep the empire from crumbling from his father’s incompetency - at least, enough for the other nobles to see, anyway.
• Prince Yanqiang: Youngest son, being born of Yandi’s deceased concubine, Songyan. A general of the imperial army at a very young age, Yanqiang lived his whole life in luxury. For a general, he is incredibly rash and foolhardy, faithfully believing in the supremacy of archaic tactics and frequently ignoring the importance of terrain and elements. He’s addicted to pipeweed and tries to keep it a secret, along with his relationship to his supplier, the Black Dragon Triads.
• Queen Liansong: Wife. Daughter of the old emperor Guxiong and is in truth quite hateful towards the current dynasty. She believes her husband to be weak and secretly has an affair with her son, Yanri.
• Taomei: Elder sister. A doting character who explicitly wishes for the emperor to take her as his concubine. Currently in charge of the winter palace in Red Clay, from where she writes and sends love letters to her brother.
• Princess Wanmei: Eldest daughter. A young, naïve and spoiled girl infatuated with her elder brother Yanri. She frequently aids him in his schemes for the throne.
• All Huangzu. At the very least, every Huangzu are cousins. Ever since Guxiong divided the elves into Huangzu and Puzu, no new blood has entered the royal pool.

Governors of the Gu-Wei provinces

• Wu Liren, governor of Greater Shi: Also the principal of the Imperial Academy. A fantastically wise Puzu scholar with friends in the dark corners of the capital. He owes much of his status today to the Black Dragon Triads and frequently looks the other way whenever they wish to spread a little disorder.
• Zhang Mozhang, governor of the Heartlands: A morally just and, some say, incorruptible Puzu statesman, strongly faithful to the emperor and his duties. Diligent in his work and humble in his act, Zhang is an exemplary governor, and the Heartlands prosper as a result.
• Dosr im Khammed (Dushu Kang), governor of the Northern Riverlands: An estate farmer whose parents worked their way up from a small patch of land to a grand chateau in the northern riverlands. Charismatic and generous, Khammed is fond of spoiling his friends with gifts and banquets. Hopefully, he doesn’t grow too fond of it.
• Bast im Ratinmaar (Ba Ran-ma), governor of the Southern Riverlands: Son of a long lineage of ancient riverland kings, Ratinmaar’s life has been enveloped in luxuries and expectations. Long before he was eligible to apply to the Academy, his family had mentors from Shi come to prepare him for his education. Ratinmaar has been molded into the ideal scholar, and while he serves his people well, there are speculations as to when this overworked statesman will snap under all the stress.
• Jianger min Agung (Jiangdi Gong), governor of Jianger: Smart, handsome and charismatic, Agung is both well-liked and well-positioned. A good diplomat and able sailor, though at times overly in love with the flask.
• Longway mi Ismaya (Longwei Ma), governor of Longway: A shadier character who’s been in power of Longway for quite a number of years. He keeps his head low to avoid drawing attention to his province and particularly the illegal production of pipeweed in the south.
• Dai Borzalik (Bozan Dai), governor of Drakka: A Bozak born and raised on the Gu-Wei side of the border. Strict, earnest and calculating. Has a tense rivalry with Zakkishtahar and the Snaketongue Slavers to the east.
• Áed the Pale (Bai Ye), governor of Druïthim: A majorly corrupt Druïthim whose pockets are full of wealth embezzled from the silk industry. The Commission makes certain to keep him well-bribed so they functionally can restrict more and more the cultural diversity of Druïthim.
• Zakkishtahar (Zan Shita), governor of the Deadlands: Elder brother of the leader of the Snaketongue Slavers, Zakkhashar. His ties to his brother and the slavers makes him inclined to grant them quite a bit of autonomy, and to a large degree, the organisation owns the whole province.
• Wang Ritian, governor of Dûna-de-Hama: An unpopular Puzu governor with little support from his subjects on account of his ethnicity. Wang has made numerous attempts to relate to the local Druïthim, but he struggles immensely.
• Bonursan Sunna (Sun Boshan), governor of Midland: A wealthy, well-educated merchant with a tight connections to both the Tiger’s Fang Triads and the Blue Phoenix Company. Due to his powerful friends, he is often forced to appease them over the affairs of the city.
• Ramansun Nomir (Numin Ran), governor of Sunnaland: Comes from a family of shipbuilders.
• Pontansun Urmir (Yunmin Po), governor of Origo: Industrialist to the core, Pontasun relishes in the idea to expansion of the charcoal and iron productions.
• Sun Zinong, governor of Shajiang: Highly corrupt Puzu elf who hates his station in the south. The only joy he finds in his work is the vast amount of wealth the gem and salt extraction bring into his pockets.
• Honursan Yomir (Yongmin Shan), governor of Red Clay: Comes from the largest family of iron smelters in the east. Dedicated to upholding his family name of Honur and thus fiercely protects his own and his family’s honoured through duels and other means.
• Ethensen Uramar (Yunman Sen), governor of Ithram: A rebellious character whose many years in office have made him hostile to the the central state.

Ribbigus Croak: The youngest Muckling shaman to ever live. Leader of the Gloch’ach’ribb.

Sun On-Yee: A low-level thug in the Tiger’s Fang Triads.

[Goldeagle1221]

{This is not in sheet format}

The Grovelands WIP

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Grovelander Government

If the Grovelands could be summarized in one word it would be ‘simple.’ This holds true for the government present in the Grovelands as well, and is even reflected in the very name of the region. In being called the Grovelands it is showing an assumption that the region is tied together by a consistent geographical feature rather than a polity, and this is a true assumption -- as there is no central or overarching government in control of the Grovelands or its people.

In place of a centralized or even decentralized government, the Grovelands is a smattering of collectives formed in familial orchards, intrafamilial hamlets, towns and even small mayoral cities. Each entity performs its own governance, with the Grovelander culture holding everything together rather than politics or law.

Despite this very loose feeling organization, the Grovelanders do feel loyalty not to a nation, but to themselves and their way of life -- banding together to fend off raids, marauders, pillaging or conquering kingdoms and other things that may interfere with their free commonwealths.

The Grovelanders themselves are considered relatively open minded should it not interfere with their daily lives but tend not to get involved with things beyond their cultural border, aside from the spare intrepid adventurer.

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Geography

Unsurprisingly, the Grovelands is renown for its thick twisted forests of oak, pine, beech, birch and maple as well as many open groves. It is rather hilly, however, and when digging deep the soil is considered rocky. Because of this, apple orchards and other hardy plants are grown in the suboptimal soils, giving Grovelanders their nickname “Applekin.”The hilly forests and groves aside, the Grovelands is also home to many fens and swamps, often at the base of a wooded hill or shady grove. In the west, a gentle shore hugs the Grovelands, making sea travel into and out of the Grovelands easy.

The further East one goes in the Grovelands, the thicker the forests gets, until they in turn reach the borders of Beyonder itself. This proximity gives the Groveland forests a certain mystical and mysterious shade that bejewels Grovelander folk stories with strange happenings, unheard of beasts and magics, as well as other imaginative fables.

The Grovelands itself is in a northern temperate zone, and as such experiences a short but warm summer, a long and beautiful autumn, a snowy winter, and soggy spring. The colors in the autumn are so famous that their oranges and blazing reds that contrast twisted black trunks are often painted by explorers and are easily sold in markets elsewhere.

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Notable Locations

Souton

Salty waves and cobblestone streets describes the squat city of Souton. Run by an elected mayor, Souton is one of the favored ports in the Grovelands and is renowned around Western Yzaille as the safest port to resupply in while on a passage north as well as one of the best places to get Grovelander goods.

Its road system is considered a nightmare by most, with the buildings having been built rashly close to one another in non uniform patterns and styles. Souton is a melting pot of seafaring cultures that dominate the western coasts of Yzaille and as such it resembles the many groups of people that call it home -- giving it a mosaic look.

Considered the largest municipality in the Grovelands, it is also famed for its cuisine -- having blended a mixture of local favorites with the signature dishes of nations far beyond the groves.

While large, squished, and a pattern of many, crime is relatively low. The locals are considered tough, sensibly rowdy, and able to defend themselves easily, and that coupled with a dedicated street and port watch makes most criminals think twice before starting trouble.

Due to the possibility of sea raids past, present and future -- Souton is also one of the few places in the Grovelands that boasts an actual standing military. The small yet expert force is paid for by the locals, and serves as a further deterrent against deviant behavior from near and afar.

Bedford

Similar to Souton and positioned more to the south (and away from raids), Bedford is on par if not ahead of Souton as the Grovelands largest fishing community. Being so embedded in its fishing culture, scrimshaw can be seen on almost every window among the cobblestone streets and squished buildings. Tales of sea beasts, vindictive whalers, and other salty yarns spill through the drinking shacks and parlors.

A favored dish of the Bedford residents, and one that has spread far and wide (although contended where it began) is a healthy plate of breaded white fish and roasted potatoes, sometimes served with lemons traded in from the southern kingdoms and duchies or pickled cucumbers minced in a mayonnaise.

Worcester

Worchester is the largest inland municipality in the Grovelands. It’s central position in the grovelands make it an excellent stop for anyone passing through or for local farmers looking to sell their goods. Unlike most settlements in the Grovelands, Worchester boasts a wall and is divided in half by the Millville river. The Millville is slow moving at the surface but quickens as you go deeper, making it perfect for powering mills for grain and other threshing needs.

The Millville river was named after the small upriver hamlet where legendary figure John Dover was supposedly born. The folkhero Dover is accredited with creating the river when he had beat his opponent in a rock skipping match for the hand of his bride. He was said to have been so incredibly strong that he had skipped a boulder that ripped through the land and turned the lake into the contemporary river.

The legend goes on to suggest that Dover in his old age founded the western half of Worchester and his old opponent founded the eastern half.. The two halves eventually coming together as one Worchester. A small, sibling rivalry still remains between the two halves, but it is relatively harmless and more of a sense of pride.

Attleborough

While it doesn’t boast the melting pot style of Souton, or the markets of Worchester -- the smaller town of Attleboro is important in that it is one of the southernmost settlements.

Deeply set in the swampy south and pushed between bogs full of cranberries, sunny pumpkin patches, and hilly apple groves, Attleborough is a quiet and simple place -- serving almost as the tiny gate to the rest of the Grovelands. The only true reasons anyone goes to Attleborough is for family, or to try their famous cranberry breads and pastries.

Being set in the eastern corner of the south, Attleborough also boasts an eerie cemetery land -- said to be haunted by the forces of Beyonder. Most notably is a tiny stone hut that has sat on its ancient foundations longer than anyone can remember.

Ashton

Souton isn’t the only settlement full of different peoples, and Ashton is a monument to this. Settled by seafaring [Sigmoo bug peeps] peoples, Ashton is a small home away from home for the [blank] culture -- now mixed with the pleasantries of Grovelander tradition.

It is located west of Worchester but inland of the western coast. [details wip]

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Culture

In one word, Grovelander culture can be described as quaint. While it is true that the Grovelanders are considered tough, direct, swear-ready, defiant, and harbor a take-no-funny-business attitude; their rough and tumble vocabulary, accent and outlook is just a symptom of their accepted way of life. Embracing their relatively peaceful and free way of life means that to ensure their warm and cozy living remains such a way, that they have to adopt a level of roughness needed to keep it as such. They question authority and social "set in stones" freely, never fold (be it bravery, patriotism or arrogance) to external pressures, and are always ready to defend their homes and ways.

This is not to say that the Grovelanders are a very serious and stern people, as humor and comedy is not only a social goldmine among them, but a respected and enjoyed art. Because of this, Grovelanders are both intimidating in a sense that they could be in an obligatory brawl one moment, while wisecracking the next with the very same people they were just fighting with.

Other than humor and a sense of toughness, the Grovelanders respect families and familial loyalty, be it with your actual family or a close knit group of friends which serve as your adopted family in a sense. Those you care about and enjoy being with are some of the first priorities in Grovelander culture, a symptom of their way of their close living and free way of life. This sense of companionship often extends down to the many pets of the Grovelands, often taking the appearance of a loyal cat or dog.

The last two things every Grovelander respects is the Grovelands themselves, and its cuisine. The quickest way to upset a Grovelander is to insult or destroy the Grovelands in an unnecessary fashion, but the quickest way to please a Grovelander is with good food.

Key ingredients to every Grovelander’s feast include various seafoods, butters, cheeses, potatoes, yams, cranberries (and jellies), beef, chicken, hazelnuts, turkey, venison, moose, garlic, onions, corn, pumpkin, maple, tomato, bell peppers, wild rice, spinach, green beans, peas, cabbage, carrots, oats, apples, ciders, and an assortment of breads, whiskies, bourbons, beers and pastries. Some common dishes include shepherd's pie, meat pie, steamed clams, baked fish, and an assortment of maple desserts. While not eaten, tobacco is also a regularly enjoyed crop.

As assumed, maple plays as vital a role in Grovelander culture as their other signature foods. During the height of winter, maple season begins -- and as such, festivals and large communal feasts follow the labor intensive work of turning the maple sap into syrup and sugar. Communities gather together for the large boiling fires and moving of barrels, just to reap the tasty rewards as crafty elders put forth their most creative maple dishes.

Other important seasons include the harvest season of autumn, and following the last harvest of the season is the traditional harvest feast. Usually centered around the fattest hunted poultry of the season (usually a turkey), the community comes together to put forth the best of their season in one large cornucopia feast. It is unheard of for cranberries and pumpkins to not grace the feasting table, being as integral to the tradition as the bird.

In the morning the Grovelanders usually sit down for a breakfast consisting of eggs, bread and a slice of meat (usually bacon or sausage), this can be washed down with chilled milk. Lunch is usually a simple meal full of vegetables and proteins to keep the Grovelanders working strong -- this could be a salad or seafood tossed with cabbage. Finally supper comes last and is usually a quiet affair (outside of feasts) done with close friends or family. Here the Grovelanders take their time and put forth their best dishes and desserts. Since suppers come earlier in the day (around 5), Grovelanders may have a snack before bed -- usually leftovers or a pastry over hot cider (spiced with imported Cinnamon if they can afford it). During this post-supper time, Grovelanders enjoy their many hobbies such as playing instruments -- often acoustic or stringed instrument -- for their close ones, whittling/carving, sports, singing, story telling (and sea yarns), and in the cities: watching theatre or drinking at a local bar.

Due to the many seasons of the Grovelands, the Grovelanders have an array of usual outfits to wear, from billowy buttoned/toggled shirts over rolled up trousers and shoes in the summer -- to fur or wool lined heavy coats in the winter. Most outfits are considered fit for either man or woman to wear -- with little regard for any gender role, and so it is common for men and women to wear the same form of outfits in the Grovelands. One such popular outfit in the Autumn is heavy pants with boots strapped over, with woolen socks and shirt, and maybe a long Autumn colored cloak over the whole ensemble. While there is no one way to do facial hair, Men’s hair tends to be cut short -- but even then, with the medley of hair and skin tones that make up the Grovelands, such uniformity in length is outdone by the variety of hair possible.

When discussing community, it is also important to discuss the family structure of the Grovelanders. As mentioned previously, Grovelanders have a deep respect for both familial ties and friendship, making their families as liquid as they are solid. Bringing friends into close family events is normal for Grovelanders, and as tight knit they hold their direct family, they are also independent enough to often find themselves making their own families or lifestyles at young ages (usually by their late teens and early twenties). It is usually unheard of for a Grovelander to stick around their parents home past adulthood without a good reason such as being a help for a farm, business, or medical/emotional trouble; the former two being the most common in rural boroughs and hamlets.

Other than this sense of independence yet respect in regards to family, social rules and cues regarding families are as varied family to family as the many personalities of the Grovelanders is. In the spirit of this variety, humans are not the only race that can call themselves Grovelanders (though often they are), as a sizable goblin population also shares the groves with the humans.

Goblins of the Grovelands

Much like the other goblins populations of Eae't, the goblins of the Grovelands prefer to separate themselves from the other races. Their usually deep self segmentation from the other races, however, does not run as deep in the Grovelands as it does elsewhere. The traditional goblin philosophy is the disregard and abandonment of the technical progress of civilization and to shun the large civilizations built by the other races in favor of a simpler more traditional living in union with the spirits of nature. This is often mistaken by the other races as a sign of stupidity, savagery or primitive living -- these assumptions not helped by the goblins’ stubborn nature against correcting or conversing with outsiders.

However, these stereotypes do not hold completely true in the Grovelands. Oddly enough and in spite of the Grovelanders harsh and straightforward honesty and way of talking, the Grovelands are a surprisingly open minded people, and in giving the goblins that level of respect, the goblins reciprocated. They lowered their defenses enough for the two peoples to coexist happily and converse in the grovelands -- with the humans living in their boroughs and the goblins in their discrete tribal locations.

Trade is common between the two camps, and while there are territorial disputes between the two at times, their coexistence is relatively peaceful. This level of cooperation with goblins is rare, and as such, the goblins would rather keep what partnership they have garnered with the human Grovelanders and in turn usually appear to aid the Grovelanders when outside change is threatening to disrupt this balance.

Other than that, the goblin Grovelanders also hold a deep respect for the grovelands, as well as their own sense of humor -- which can be found rigid or dry in their stark and serious goblin Grovelander demeanour. Unlike their human counterparts, the goblin Grovelanders utilize shamanism -- and while they respect the human religions, they harbor their own shamanistic religion based around the direct worship of the nature spirits. This pan-goblinic religion steeped in harmless rituals and deep respect for nature, the ancestors, and the spirits is called many things depending on the tribe and location. The common name in the Grovelands is simply “The Shaman’s Path.”

The Goblins themselves rely less on harvest and farming than the humans, but instead hold a tradition of hunting in the thickest parts of the woods -- isolated from passerby. Their sacred hunting bows are used to take down the many deer, turkey’s and moose of the Grovelands. What farming is done is done in spotty segments of the forest, where shafts of light break through the canopies.

Their respect for the forests goes in so far as they refuse to harm the trees of the land, opting to only use fallen branches and logs for their unique settlements. Because of this unique outlook on wood-use, their tools tend to be fire hardened and their buildings take the form of stretched hide and canvas rather than logs.

These yurts can be so large as to have different smaller yurts stuffed inside, or have a shawl wrapped around a ring of tiny yurts as to protect from wind and snow. Added to this, the goblins tend to decorate their yurts with colorful paintings of their communities past, present and future.

Leading these colorful settlements is the elder of each clan, along with their shaman. It is a rare sight for one of these elders or shamans to make their way into a Grovelander city, but not uncommon for them to have contact with smaller hamlets and farmsteads near their clan’s homes.

Military

Being denizens of an uncentralized cultural land, there is no official military force that blankets the Grovelands, nor is there any official levy. The defense of the Grovelands falls squarely on the desire for the locals to keep their land the way it is, and as such, in times of trouble, the people of both human and goblin territories rise to its defense.

The military can be split into two camps -- goblin warriors, and human militia. Some goblin tribal warriors have plenty of seasoned practice in the art of small skirmishes and wars from experiences of violent troubles between disagreeing tribes or territory disputes, and as such are well trained in their instruments of violence.

The goblin warriors are armed with a vast array of possibilities, from hammering clubs of wood and metal, to the ever present spear and javelin (preferring retrievable throwables to bows). Their hide shields are often painted with visceral colors, and their bodies tend to match. Flexible and thick clothing or hide can be used for armor, but their true edge lies in their ‘no hesitation’ tactic of fighting, making them fierce, fearless and extremely aggressive warriors -- able to strike where most would hesitate. They are unpredictable and extremely dangerous ambushers, often choosing the battlefield through expert tactics, deception and baiting.

The humans similarly may be well trained in their particular weapons of choice, or even violence itself -- the life of a hunter, or a farmer defending their stake from raiders and ne'er do wells providing ample opportunity to learn self defense and offense. This coupled with the trained police force of some of the cities and the fisticuff happy bar nights, the humans of the grovelands are not as naive in the art of violence as one would expect at first sight.

Complementing the goblin’s own fighting style, the people of the Grovelands are expert ambushers -- able to use their vast hunting knowledge and puzzling terrain of the thick forests and sudden groves to their advantage against foreign troops. Bows, axes and even swords find their way to the hands of the Grovelanders, using these personal weapons to better maneuver in the tight quarters of the forests and breaking up any uniform enemy. Maneuverable shields of banded wood are popular, as are strong nasal helmets. Body armor tends to be padded cloth between thick quilts, or mail between two quilts -- whatever keeps their body safe without making them too large or heavy to make their way through the forests and fens.

Despite the Groveland’s ability to field a large amount of belligerents, as each family has something to lose in the event of an invasion, the Grovelanders both human and goblin avoid large open battles -- sticking to the tactical use of their dense forests, swamps and hilly environments to ensure the victory. Traps, ambushes, and unexpected angles matched with the fierce tenacity and defiance of the denizens is what wins them their battles.

As far as their coast and naval engagements are concerned, without a centralized military or government, naval engagements are rare despite their mass of boats. Only when a major threat is imminent and a navy is truly required is when the Grovelanders attempt to join the municipalities and port towns into a militia fleet. Such a fleet focuses on using the Grovelander hooks and harpoons to link themselves with enemy boats, turning each ship into a tiny battlefield where they can unleash their aforementioned tenacity.

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Legends and Other Notables

Goblin Physiology

For clarity on a Goblin and what a Goblin looks like: a Goblin stands on average around four feet tall, have sharp facial features, a lack of facial hair, black hair, long sharp ears, brown to reddish eyes, and pale green skin. They can be fit, fat, skinny, muscular same as any human.

Cloudlings

Cloudlings are strange cotton ball sized and shaped animals. They are made entirely of a cloud-like material and are known to be extremely gregarious, even imprinting themselves on Grovelanders -- especially the more adventurous and fun. Their ecological role is one of a pollinator, as they saturate their tiny bodies in sugars at every available opportunity -- pollinating flowers in the process. With the introduction of civilization, however, cloudlings are a renown pest as well as pet -- often getting into liquor stores and wine cellars, where they saturate themselves to the point of asexual reproduction in a form similar to mitosis. Many cloudling swarms have been made from a carelessly left open basement door giving a thirsty cloudling clearance to high spirits.

The cloudlings communicate through tiny “zzt”s, pops and crackles, being able to discharge tiny bits of static electricity. They often bumble into each other in the wild, creating tiny droplets of rain or harmless discharges of static. They don’t have much in the ways of defense, as they have no natural predators and are very hard to destroy. Their true lifespan is unknown, in no short part due to their similar appearances among themselves and random spurts of clone-like reproduction. Personality wise, these social pollinators tend to be not only gregarious but suffer from animalistic gluttony, bold ego, and often aggressive defense of those they are imprinted upon with little regard for their own safety. More than once there have been stories of tiny cloudlings saving a favored child from a stray dog or coyote by giving the attacker a shocking zap up the nose.

Cloudlings prefer colonizing inland areas with plenty of vegetation and that aren't too dry, barren, or hot.

Daffotales

Daffotales are an extraordinarily rare and unique species of daffodils -- if they are even related. These flowers usually grow alone deep in the forests, rooted where shafts of bright light spear through the canopy. They wiggle when approached, as if dancing -- and then proceed to either retell a story they were told/overheard, or fancifully tell the story of something they had witnessed. Some daffotales are extremely gregarious and will spill every story they can think of without regard for privacy, while others demand a story in return for their own -- a way to expand their repertoire.

How they came about is heavily rumored. The goblins claim they are the souls of lost children who had disrespected the most sacred parts of the groves and put into the ground by punishing nature spirits. This explanation sometimes includes adults, while Grovelanders themselves sometimes claim that they are the souls of stillborn children that had been buried in the forest -- or sometimes even the victims of starvation.

The Seer of Yarmouth

Hidden in the rocky islands of the north is said to be an aging seer. The seer is said to be able to tell you how you are to die and can be identified by the layers of goats wool and rattling jewelry that they wear. Their precise location is unknown, but rumor has it that during misty low tides, you can hear the oracle herd bleating goats on near the islands of Yarmouth.

Using this method of search along with the help of northern shore locals, Rachel Piper was said to have made the journey to the seer when she was a young teenager. Whatever happened at the home of the seer, if it was found or not, changed her forever -- turning her into the brave, fearless adventurer that common legends know her as. Most assume that she clearly found out how she was to die, and knowing when it wasn’t to happen -- rushed forward into danger without any regard for it.

The Gurken

No one is quite sure how the Gurken got their name, with it being an old word for ‘Cucumber,’ but it stuck. Despite the mundane name, the Gurken are revered not only in the Grovelands, but across Eae't as enigmatic and legendary envoys of whatever forest they are found in.

They are shy and quiet, going so far as to wear a wooden mask over their faces at all times. Their bodies are short (roughly 3-4 feet high) and completely made out of soil and moss, with strong wood acting as bones. Sometimes small plants grow on their soil covered bodies, giving them the look of a floral mosaic. Many naturalistic religions harbor them as sacred, or even outright worship them as the physical representation of a nature spirit. Sometimes decades will go by between sightings of a Gurk, but spotting one is always considered good luck, especially in times of need.

Despite their mythical reputation, the Gurken are also very childlike in their mannerisms, being naive or curious -- often sighting stories recall them playing with wild forest creatures and admiring plants. In legend, ancient dryads often refer to them as children of the forest, and when one goes questing -- it invokes the image of a young, child adventurer on a noble journey of great importance, an occasion rarer than a Gurk itself. In common fables, Cloudlings are rumored to be good friends of the Gurken, so many artists depicting a questing Gurk with wooden (and almost toy like) sword and shield almost always have a cloudling by their shoulder.

[DracoLunaris]

Summary of Nordheim and the carrion woods:

Not a sheet

Deep. dark. Impenetrable. The carrion woods are a massive forest that smother the north. It is a dark oppressive place where the dead find no rest, but are instead animated by the forest as vengeful spirits, monsters of flesh and vine, root and bone, who drown those who disturb the forest in a tide of undeath. Legends say that the forest is home to a nature goddess, ancient as the trees themselves. Once both she and the forest where beauties to behold, emerald jewels of the continent, admired and respected by all. Yet the elves could not stand by and leave such a beauty unclaimed and so aimed to take it for themselves. With axes they tore down her trees to decorate their homes with its splendorous wood. With bow and arrow they hunted its beasts for their furs and scales.

Worse still, they built a great tower in her depths, to steal away her power. Enraged at this final, personal slight the goddess unleashed her fury upon the elves, killing most and binding the rest to her will, transforming them into the ashen skinned Drow. The forest came alive and using plant puppeted corpses tor asunder who subsequently attempted to enter, be they Muhakim or Muha. Tides of dead things began to emerge to asail the living sweeping north into elvish lands or south into the tribe lands until the day Muha fell.

When the last great civilisation fell the woods grew quiet. Elven kind had brought itself low and so nature could rest once more. For a thousand years the woods have slumbered, but even now only a fool would take an axe to its trees, for to do so would be to rouse the woods ire once more.

Nordheim meanwhile is a former dwarven colony found on a small peninsula jutting out into a bay. It is controlled by a democratically elected high council itself lead by two similarly elected Jarls. The region was settled by the dwarves raiders in the wake of the elven empire’s fall Nordheim became a fortified port city out of which further raids and conquests where wagged. As of present day the dwarves now control swathes of coast that are now dotted with smaller dwarven communities. The dwarves practice a form of ancestor worship/magic, where the spirits of the dead are bound to artifacts and can be summoned to aid the living in times of need.

The thing that links these two regions are its natives. Centaur, satyr and harpy tribes called the region home before the dwarves arrival but where unable to oust the stunty sailors upon their arrival. The initial bouts of dwarven conquest are now far in the past, and though bad blood still lingers the natives and colonists have formed a peaceful working relationship as their two cultures have mingled over the decades and their economies co dependent. The generally the dwarves dominate the coast, while the beastfolk dwell further inland.

They suffered mightily at the hands off the carrion woods in days gone past, but their own history says that the carrion woods where not quieted by the fall of the elves, but by a druidic hero who braved the depths of the woods, using strength, cunning and wit to win over its drow protectors and brought peace to the goddess’s blackened heart.

Since that day many of the beastfolk now worship the forest god rather than fear it, and some even live with the drow within its twisted depths. The worship is a harsh one, occasionally requiring sacrifice, yet it has kept the woods at peace for centuries. Only now do the woods stir once more, slowly wakening, angry and hungry, though none can say for sure why this is the case.

[Infernal]

Completed

https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4979351

[Helios]

Dokkir - (WIP)

Dokkirvidbjodslegur

“The Dark, Quiet, Wood”

More of a place than a nation, more of an idea than a people. Dokkir, as many in the world call it, is a darkness that few tales emerge from.
It is the story that haunts the dreams of children when their parents tell them of the night.

Whispers in the Rain

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• Anarchy and ruin exist below the Canal of Vajl
  - A curse is set on those forests, ethereal beasts attack any who speak
  - The people have abandoned speech and go to great lengths to ensure others abide
• Vajl is the capital and quasi-City State which rules the satrap clans of the Northern Moors
• Viscount Naezerios is the despot ruler of these lands and only remaining elf
  -He resides in Vajl
  -All literature not written by him is outlawed
• The Northern Moors are home to humans, orcs, ogres, bugbears, kenku, and tuskarr
  - The populations of these minority races predominate far north
  - Humans are the primary holders of clan power
  - Clans have no race, they intermingle and interbreed freely between species

History

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The unconquered.

There once was a great kingdom in these woods. Its people were vibrant and their valor in life and in battle was known throughout the world. A proud people, that stood to the last as the elven masters tore into the lands of men. They fought unendingly in the deep woods. The carcasses of elves and men alike rotted in every stream of the nation. It was an attrition that was bound to end or take the life of the wood with it. At the ancient mountain fort, Mount Grjuvjkar, the human kingdom made their last stand against the elven host. Their valor was the harbinger of their fate. They were slaughtered to a man.

Yet in the dying thralls of this nation emerged a plague. Conjured by the greatest magi the land had ever known. It is said that every ounce ounce of his being went into the spell as a spear rent his gut. In his last breath he would protect his people from ever taking heel to the elven scourge. That night, wolves that folded in and out of smoke tore through the elven ranks. Every breathe from a sentient tongue drew them to their feast like sharks in blooded water. When struck they would cry out into the night and vanish just as they came, in dark pungent smoke. But it is said that with each kill their ranks grew. These were not mindless fiends. They were hunters. They prayed on the weak. Those who went to relieve themselves, embraced loved ones at night, children playing in the fields. The monsters did not discriminate. Those who spoke words called them to the hunt. And so they spread. Entire villages and cities vanished in a slow leak of violent death.

The elven masters, seeing the rotten fruit that this nation was, left them to the curse. The battle for freedom against flesh was won, but at what cost?

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The Hearing.

Voices called them. The fiends could not see, they could not smell, but they could hear the soul behind a tongue for miles. The understanding spread too late. Thousands had joined the blackness, cities were in ruin. Anarchy had consumed them as long-winded nobles tried to stay their people's fears, summoning more death in its stead. The once great kingdom of men had become a feast. There was no hope but to leave. And so they did.

Countless souls fled to the south and east. At the crossing of each river was salvation from the haunting. These creatures, aberrations, were tied to the land of the original kingdom. Their magic coming from the very soil of its existence. An entire nation of refugees fled to all corners of the map. Most perished, still others clung to homesteads as far afield from Mount Grjuvjkar as they could. They marched miles with women and children and all the precious things of civilization in their arms. Those that could not or would not abandon their homeland attempted to adapt. They became voiceless. A silence that was enforced by the price of horrors they had witnessed. The tongues of children were often removed to keep them from acting, playing, speaking as children do. It was a half-life, but it was life. They still walk the forests; silent, both hunter and hunted.

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The Surge North.

The last great men of the land did not flee piecemeal. The eastern shores which had fed the lands for time immemorial rallied a fleet under one banner. It is said that a foreign people crashed ashore there with a great arc. They sallied the remnants of their nation, the body of the slain king, and tore northward. The truth of this tale is unknown, but the people of this coast landed enmasse in the Northern Moors. There they were met by the beastkin and monsters of the isthmus. With death behind them and death before them, the men landed and slaughtered the natives. There push into the north lasted years. Their lives became a war that lasted generations, but against a foe that they could see, fight, and conquer. As harsh winters claimed more lives than war, an uneasy pact between the men and beastfolk was forged. They began to commingle, cohabitate, and even comary as social and political bonds became easier to hold than freezing steel. To this day the Northern Moors is boiling stew of cooperation and conflict at every table. But one thing is sure, they answer to Vajl.

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The Great & Marvelous City of Vajl.

A trading metropolis. This city was once a stronghold and commercial lynchpin for the great elven empire. Located just north of the only navigable waterway between the Ice Bridge’s carving of East and West. This port city was an invaluable asset and with it came the riches of its worth. By the time of imperial collapse, it was already an indomitable scar on the land. With ease it shirked off the beast hoards that attempted its walls. The haughty refugee swine from the south crashed upon her gates and made meals for crows. The elven host ruled the land under the bedazzled hand of Viscount Naezeiros.

In time, the people of the region were brought to heal. Incursions into the Northern Moors were swift and profitable. At the bore of wasting their own soldiers, the Viscount began to buy the heathens' loyalties. Pitting rival clan against one another, corrupted the Jarls of every court, and seized their culture within his divine authority. All literature was outlawed. Only the words directly written by him could be transcribed. With the men of this land too afraid to speak and the beasts too dumb to read, their minds and mouths were his alone.

The elven host of Vajl were less inclined to forfeit their freedom of thought. And so Viscount Naezeiros, May His Myrth Reign, had them killed. One by one, the immortal flesh of his elven kin was sacrificed for the living novela of his power. The Viscount began surrounding himself with those he could trust, a number that slimmed with each night. Before long every elf, every threat to his power, was dead.

Viscount Naezerios became obsessed with his writings, the only intellectual company he could now muster. He imported his food, wine and pleasantries from the corner of the globe and so too did he pick his company. Dwarves from the far East, the Morjakjn Guard, became his harem. He was seldom seen without some forty of them in his company at all times. He claimed to be enthralled by them, creatures who could think and speak and live long enough to truly understand. Under pain of their oath, they were also the only souls in this land who did not wish him dead. He despised the mortal swine infesting his city, but like a feral child they would be kept warm and read to at night. His fatherly reign continues to this day.

Territory

Terrain

The Deepwood.

Thick maples and pine. The roots that weave between her black soil are home to lush moss and ferns. In the wake of sentient life being torn from her womb, populations of elk, moose and caribou cover the hollows. But with prey comes predators, and they are many. It is said that even the trees have begun to fight back and return the forest to harmony.



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The Northern Moors.

An unforgiving land of wind and fog. Warm currents from the south leave it predominantly thawed but a dampness hangs like cold rags. The moors have always been the cauldron of strong souls and harry beasts. It is a land of refugees and one that only those without option would find suit to call it a home. Its soil is poor and so those who work this land make use of the herds: buffalo, sheep, pony, and mammoth. All of the creatures have their place in this tenuous cycle of freezing rain and snapping frost. She plays host to clusters of birch and aspen trees where the humans cling in huddled clans. They are an oasis of bark and a peoples last link to home.

Culture

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The way of the wood.

The culture of the Dokkir varies by region. Of exceptional note, those to the south, embedded in the haunting of their lands, use no spoken language. Their customs of ancestral rites, communion with the forest and soil, homage to wyr stones and other such rituals from before the collapse are very much alive today. It is said that observing these traditions is the only cure for the curse set upon their lands. Many feel that the sure is retribution for destroying their soil with the blood of so many slain in their fight against the elven tide. Still others have abandoned the old ways, claiming that their deliverance should have come by now if their gods were truly worthy of worship. Their constant dance with death from the Hearing has sapped them into little more than small villages, migratory bands, and marauding briggands.

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The way of the hill.

The Northern Moors have merged their human customs with the more “primal” tendencies of their beastkin compatriots. Drinking and violence are the norm. Testosterone is proven in parts per million by hunting game, winning challenges, and siring children of every breed. They still respect the earth, but when the soil is frozen they find their delights atop of it.

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The Great and Marvelous way of Vajl.

The Great and Marvelous City of Vajl, a hedonist dream. Though this land is held under staunch rule by the Viscount Naezerios, it remains a lucrative and cultured city in an otherwise intellectual wasteland. Novels and novellas written by the Great and Powerful Viscount Naezerios adorn every shoppe and trade stand. Plays written by the euclid playwright, Viscount Naezerios, are mimed at every street corner. Even the vestments of government figure from tax collector to gatehouse guard are wreathed in the compelling and provocative poetry of the humble genius that is Viscount Naezerios. It is an oasis of literature from one voice, the Greatest voice, Viscount Naezerios.

Religion

Gods

The Tonnikala

Represents bounty, good fortune, food, glory, and health.
The god is personified by heroism in defeat, just as the fish must die to give the hunter life.

The Vulture

Selflessness, suffering, rebirth, duty, belonging, rest.
She is personified by heroism in victory, the vulture mercifully cleans the world of death and decay so that new life can grow.

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Together they are symbolized by a vulture carrying a dying fish in its talons; wings pointing downward.
The Tonnikala reaches upward snaring the wing in its mouth.
The picture creates a circle, a continuum of victory and defeat bound by the struggle for life.

Military

The Immortals of Vajl

Vajl Oathsworn

Vajl Levies

Vajl Druzhina

Vajl Mammaluts

Oprichniks

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Northern Moors

Elk Cavalry

Moorish Jarls

Moorish Huscarls

Moorish Oathspears

Moorish Warband

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The Deepwood

They Who Whisper

Characters

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Viscount Naezerios

Appearnace

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Our Mother

Appearance

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Government

Factions

Economy

[Hyperdrive]

Inserting placeholder for the NS.

Edit: Inserting 200 years before the formation of the Union, and an internal map.

The Sacred Union of Athala

1st Age History

1st Age, 816 BF
- Seeing Athala's strategic value in controlling both the North and East, the Empire sends its army to invade the island.

1st Age, 817 BF
- After a year of fighting, the forces of Athala eventually surrender, leading to the enslavement of the entire local populace. With a large workforce readily available, the construction of Sellune and the Great Bridge of Athala begins.

1st Age, 833 BF
- Rumors spreads of an organization infiltrating the Imperial leadership in Athala. Later part of the year, humans captured from the great forest east of Athala arrives to the island, numbering in the tens of thousands.

1st Age, 840 BF
- Construction of the five fortress cities; Verlingen, Vilhaun, Ostbruk, Schwarzeburg, and Sehenburg, begins. Human prisoners and slaves from the northern continent were sent to the island to help in the construction.

1st Age, 856 BF
- Numerous gold and silver mines open in Athala, along the bases of the Farnor Ranges.

1st Age, 862 BF
- A large silver dragon attacks one of the three mage towers built on the island, and nestles on its ruins. An attempt to reclaim the tower fails dramatically, leading to the tower to be abandoned.

1st Age, 884 BF
- Under the direct command of the Emperor, Haupberg's construction had begun, diverting resources from the five fortress cities' construction.

1st Age, 889 BF
- The first Athalan uprising occurs. The revolt lasted for three months before it was quelled, but resulted to the escape of thousands of Athlans and Jaraxi to the northern forest. Imperial forces ceased pursuit mainly due to the myth of a forest deity residing there.

1st Age, 906 BF
- Haupberg's construction is completed. Upon Imperial decree, the city is to be the Empire's "capital" in the North East; acting as the funnel for Northern Eusovia's taxes before being sent to Muha.

1st Age, 907 BF
- The Imperial Mint opens a large facility in Athala, in the heart of Haupberg. Local currencies surrounding Athala were devalued, leading some kingdoms to revolt.

1st Age, 910 BF
- Verlingen's construction is completed. The Imperial Docks of Verlingen immediately begins working on a local fleet to patrol Athalan shores.

1st Age, 915 BF
- The second Athalan Uprising occurs. Though the uprising lasted for seven months, there were little casualties dealt on both the Empire and the Rebels. The rebels freed slaves all across Athala before surrendering to Imperial forces. Instead of death, they were sent to replace the post of the slaves they freed.

1st Age, 930 BF
- The Great Bridge of Athala is completed. Despite the completion of one of the Empire's architectural wonders, little attention was given to it due to the increasing disorder and number of revolts in Eusovia. Surviving slaves that worked on the project were rounded up and sent to work on the construction of Sellune.

1st Age, 933 BF
- Ostbruk's construction is completed. Migration to the island is prohibited by the local garrison, maintaining the current mix of Humans, Elves, and Jaraxi as the only races in the isle.

1st Age, 946 BF
- Vilhaun, Schwarzeburg, and Sehenburg's construction are completed. Remnants of earlier uprisings begin their raids all across the island.

1st Age, 950 BF
- Sellune's construction is finally completed. All slaves and construction workers involved in the project were rounded up and imprisoned in the deep vaults of the city without food. Imperial Magi moves into the city and begin their twisted experiments and rituals within the safety of the Farnor Ranges.

1st Age, 951 BF
- The fleet of ships in Verlingen is completed and is dubbed as "The Athalan Armada". The fleet served both as a patrol force and a treasure fleet for the Empire.

1st Age, 960 BF
- Uprisings in other areas of the Empire resulted to the reassignment of military assets away from Athala.

1st Age, 969 BF
- Imperial Magi residing in the fortress cities are recalled to the capital, resulting to the abandonment of the two remaining mage towers. Magi residing in Sellune were specifically ordered to stay and resume their work.

1st Age, 976 BF
- A major breakout of Jaraxi slaves occurs in the south of the island. Due to limited forces, the slaves weren't pursued. They eventually created tribes spread across Athala.

1st Age, 979 BF
- With their hold of Eusovia reaching its end, Imperial forces; upon receiving the Imperial decree, began consolidating their assets in the east to Athala.

1st Age, 996 BF
- The Imperial decree ends. Resources salvaged were kept in Haupberg while the riches were stored in Sellune. Numerous treasuries of smaller nations were emptied, resulting to open revolt all across Eusovia. Athala is closed off from the rest of the continent.

1st Age, 985 BF
- An alliance fleet created a blockade surrounding Athala, while a large army besieges Ostbruk. The island is completely cut off from the rest of the Empire.

1st Age, 987 BF
- The Athalan Armada breaks through the blockade and makes way for Muha. Rumors among the enemy rank led the alliance to believe that the fleet carried all the riches they stole from Eusovia, resulting to the lift of the blockade. The alliance fleet eventually catches up with the armada, but only found ships filled to the brim with soldiers being ferried to the Empire's capital. The battle that ensued led to the mutual destruction of both fleets.

1st Age, 988 BF
- Imperial forces in Haupberg reveal their separatist allegiance and declares independence from the Empire. The chain of command within Athala is broken, leading to the five fortress cities to be ruled by the local general assigned to them. Massive slave outbreaks spread across the island, further isolating the cities from each other. Ostbruk remains besieged.

1st Age, 990 BF
- Separtist forces besiege and capture Sellune, effectively killing all of the remaining Imperial Magi in the island. Upon opening the deep vaults, a human emerges - the lone survivor of the workers imprisoned forty years ago.

1st Age, 991 BF
- The city of Schwarzeberg falls to the hands of the northern rebel forces. Imperial survivors that fled to Haupberg were either executed or joined the separatist ranks.

1st Age, 991 BF
- The lone survivor assumes control of the separatist forces and creates a council with each member represented by the three races in the island.

1st Age, 993 BF
- Ostbruk falls to the hands of the alliance army, leading to the sacking of the city. Instead of pushing further into the the island, the alliance forces settle in Ostbruk.

1st Age, 994 BF
- The lone survivor unites the tribes of Jaraxi and leads the siege of Verlingen. After a week, the city surrenders. Later part of the year, Schwarzeburg joins forces with the separatists.

1st Age, 996 BF
- Sehenburg is captured by the separatist forces without shedding blood. The local general surrenders the city under the terms that his men; loyal to the Empire, be spared and allowed safe passage back to Muha. The soldiers left the island, but it was never known whether they arrived to Muha.

1st Age, 997 BF
- Vilhaun is besieged and captured by separatist forces with the help of a local Jaraxi tribe. Initial skirmishes against the alliance army occurs before the end of the year.

1st Age, 998 BF
- The separatist forces declares their right to rule Athala against the alliance, and besieges Ostbruk.

1st Age, 999 BF
- An attempt from the alliance to capture Verlingen is repelled, leading to a boost in morale that proved as the final catalyst in the downfall of Ostbruk. Instead of continuing the war, the alliance sought peace with the separatist forces, ending the unification war of Athala.

With victory achieved, the separatist forces reorganizes into The Sacred Union of Athala. The lone survivor mysteriously vanished after the birth of the Union, leaving the rulership to the hands of the council.

[Goldeagle1221]

@slagar Update!

The Grovelands Sheet

The Grovelands

Image massive

-Der Chasseur im wald, by Caspar David Friedrich

=-=General Information=-=

• The Grovelands is a heavily forests, hilly, seafaring land made up of communes, commonwealths and tribes.
• It is dominated by humans and goblins
• There is no one official currency, with municipalities creating their own systems.
• It is a large amount of land that is sparsely populated, besides municipalities.
• There is no professional army or levy
• Last harvest was good, this is a land of plenty.

Races

Hider

Humans,

Goblins

For clarity on a Goblin and what a Goblin looks like: a Goblin stands on average around four feet tall, have sharp facial features, a lack of facial hair, black hair, long sharp ears, brown to reddish eyes, and pale green skin. They can be fit, fat, skinny, muscular same as any human.

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History

Hider

Year 0: The Muhan Empire falls.

Year XXX: The _ begin their conquest of western Eusovis (the post-Muhakin empire)

Year 568: The Kingdom of Nandar is founded by King Aelend, formerly the Muhakim province of Anaria. The tribes of Anar are united.

Year 696: The Grovelander revolt begins, taking their opportunity during the ____ Empire’s waning power. Folk hero Rachel Piper unites the Grovelander Humans and Goblins. Xarta, governor of the Grovelander province devises a subversive method to cause infighting in the Grovelands so as to focus resources on the other parts of the waning empire.

Year 697: A stray Gurk foils Xarta’s plan and the rebellion enters full swing as Xarta is killed and the Humans and Goblins formalize their treaty.

Year 697-700: The _____ Empire falls, freeing the cultural Grovelander lands, the Nandarian lands and the Dathanari lands.

Year 700-730: Under the “divine” rule of Emperor Gaelin Tassarion, the Holy Dathanari Empire forms and wages a series of wars against its southern neighbours, successfully conquering the southlands. In order to financially secure themselves, the newly crowned Emperor had sent a diplomatic envoy to the Sacred Athalan Union to acquire the funds needed to keep the Empire afloat, the loan itself worth hundreds of thousands of gold and silver.

Year 730-733: The Dathanari invades the Grovelands, but due to an incompetent general and heavy guerrilla resistance, the empire is forced to withdraw.

Year 734-740: An immediate call to tend to the bruised ego of the Imperial army quickly turned into a second mobilization against the Grovelands, leading to a six year conflict that after an inch by inch war lead to the successful capture of Bedford and annexation of lands past the Melbourne River and only a few kilometers from Souton.

Year 742: The Bedford Revolt lead to the gruesome execution of a visiting Dathanari military family and liberation of the city by Franklin Dover, a supposed descendent of the fabled Dover family. This sparked a punitive conflict against Bedford that quickly spiraled into a Grovelander reconquest lead by Dover as well as a sizable pledge of Goblin tribes.

Year 742-744: The Grovelander Reconquest results in pushing the Dathanari back over the River Melbourne and back into Dathanari lands. Rumors had it that Dover planned on invading the Empire to create a buffer zone -- but succumbed to a stomach virus around the end of the war.

Year 744-830: The tentative hundred year peace begins between the Grovelands and the Dathanari, the ferocity of the previous two conflicts inflicting heavy demands on both sides.

Year 830-839: The Dathanari attempt to annex bordering Grovelander municipalities by bribery and extortion. While some accepted the offer, this was mostly met with resistance and in 839 a Grovelander Pledge was called to defame any acceptance of vassalage.

Year 840: Tensions rise between the Grovelanders and the Dathanari, with bordering Goblin tribes disrupting defamed Grovelander municipalities now under Dathanari control. This sparks the fourth war between the Dathanari and the Grovelanders when the Dathanari march on the Grovelands.

Year 840-853: The longest Grovelander and Dathanari conflict begins, filled with sporadic skirmishes and long periods of waiting for the other to make their move. The Dathanari had grown suspicious of the guerilla tactics and the Grovelanders refused to meet them head on, leading to an almost standing war. This conflict was finally ended when a Dathanari diplomat, Thaola Adgwyn, made history by being the first foreigner to attend a Pledge, the camps of the Grovelands agreeing to a ceasefire and hopes of peace in the future. Grovelander municipalities were relinquished, Goblin disruption is ceased, and Official trade opens between the two nations.

Year 887: Official trade between the two nations close after several border disputes and territory lines are argued, leading to the silent era.

Year 977-980: In a resurgence of jingoism and with the defamation of the Dathanari diplomat, Thaola Adgwyn, the Dathanari in renewed vigor launch a full invasion of the Grovelands. The battles are quick and devastating, leading to a full annexation of the Grovelander lands up to the border of the Melbourne river. The war is stopped in 980, as war fatigue sets in -- but tensions remain hot.

Year 992: The Dathanari Governor of the Grovelands resigns by force due to his many blunders and the continued resistance by the locals making a fool of him and the garrison. The 11th Eastern Legion under the command of Legatus Ayduin assumes the Governors position over the Groveland province.

Year 1000: present day

Culture

Hider

In one word, Grovelander culture can be described as quaint. While it is true that the Grovelanders are considered tough, direct, swear-ready, defiant, and harbor a take-no-funny-business attitude; their rough and tumble vocabulary, accent and outlook is just a symptom of their accepted way of life. Embracing their relatively peaceful and free way of life means that to ensure their warm and cozy living remains such a way, that they have to adopt a level of roughness needed to keep it as such. They question authority and social "set in stones" freely, never fold (be it bravery, patriotism or arrogance) to external pressures, and are always ready to defend their homes and ways.

This is not to say that the Grovelanders are a very serious and stern people, as humor and comedy is not only a social goldmine among them, but a respected and enjoyed art. Because of this, Grovelanders are both intimidating in a sense that they could be in an obligatory brawl one moment, while wisecracking the next with the very same people they were just fighting with.

Other than humor and a sense of toughness, the Grovelanders respect families and familial loyalty, be it with your actual family or a close knit group of friends which serve as your adopted family in a sense. Those you care about and enjoy being with are some of the first priorities in Grovelander culture, a symptom of their way of their close living and free way of life. This sense of companionship often extends down to the many pets of the Grovelands, often taking the appearance of a loyal cat or dog.

The last two things every Grovelander respects is the Grovelands themselves, and its cuisine. The quickest way to upset a Grovelander is to insult or destroy the Grovelands in an unnecessary fashion, but the quickest way to please a Grovelander is with good food.

Key ingredients to every Grovelander’s feast include various seafoods, butters, cheeses, potatoes, yams, cranberries (and jellies), beef, chicken, hazelnuts, turkey, venison, moose, garlic, onions, corn, pumpkin, maple, tomato, bell peppers, wild rice, spinach, green beans, peas, cabbage, carrots, oats, apples, ciders, and an assortment of breads, whiskies, bourbons, beers and pastries. Some common dishes include shepherd's pie, meat pie, steamed clams, baked fish, and an assortment of maple desserts. While not eaten, tobacco is also a regularly enjoyed crop.

As assumed, maple plays as vital a role in Grovelander culture as their other signature foods. During the height of winter, maple season begins -- and as such, festivals and large communal feasts follow the labor intensive work of turning the maple sap into syrup and sugar. Communities gather together for the large boiling fires and moving of barrels, just to reap the tasty rewards as crafty elders put forth their most creative maple dishes.

Other important seasons include the harvest season of autumn, and following the last harvest of the season is the traditional harvest feast. Usually centered around the fattest hunted poultry of the season (usually a turkey), the community comes together to put forth the best of their season in one large cornucopia feast. It is unheard of for cranberries and pumpkins to not grace the feasting table, being as integral to the tradition as the bird.

In the morning the Grovelanders usually sit down for a breakfast consisting of eggs, bread and a slice of meat (usually bacon or sausage), this can be washed down with chilled milk. Lunch is usually a simple meal full of vegetables and proteins to keep the Grovelanders working strong -- this could be a salad or seafood tossed with cabbage. Finally supper comes last and is usually a quiet affair (outside of feasts) done with close friends or family. Here the Grovelanders take their time and put forth their best dishes and desserts. Since suppers come earlier in the day (around 5), Grovelanders may have a snack before bed -- usually leftovers or a pastry over hot cider (spiced with imported Cinnamon if they can afford it). During this post-supper time, Grovelanders enjoy their many hobbies such as playing instruments -- often acoustic or stringed instrument -- for their close ones, whittling/carving, sports, singing, story telling (and sea yarns), and in the cities: watching theatre or drinking at a local bar.

Due to the many seasons of the Grovelands, the Grovelanders have an array of usual outfits to wear, from billowy buttoned/toggled shirts over rolled up trousers and shoes in the summer -- to fur or wool lined heavy coats in the winter. Most outfits are considered fit for either man or woman to wear -- with little regard for any gender role, and so it is common for men and women to wear the same form of outfits in the Grovelands. One such popular outfit in the Autumn is heavy pants with boots strapped over, with woolen socks and shirt, and maybe a long Autumn colored cloak over the whole ensemble. While there is no one way to do facial hair, Men’s hair tends to be cut short -- but even then, with the medley of hair and skin tones that make up the Grovelands, such uniformity in length is outdone by the variety of hair possible.

When discussing community, it is also important to discuss the family structure of the Grovelanders. As mentioned previously, Grovelanders have a deep respect for both familial ties and friendship, making their families as liquid as they are solid. Bringing friends into close family events is normal for Grovelanders, and as tight knit they hold their direct family, they are also independent enough to often find themselves making their own families or lifestyles at young ages (usually by their late teens and early twenties). It is usually unheard of for a Grovelander to stick around their parents home past adulthood without a good reason such as being a help for a farm, business, or medical/emotional trouble; the former two being the most common in rural boroughs and hamlets.

Other than this sense of independence yet respect in regards to family, social rules and cues regarding families are as varied family to family as the many personalities of the Grovelanders is. In the spirit of this variety, humans are not the only race that can call themselves Grovelanders (though often they are), as a sizable goblin population also shares the groves with the humans.

The Goblins

Much like the other goblins populations of Eae't, the goblins of the Grovelands prefer to separate themselves from the other races. Their usually deep self segmentation from the other races, however, does not run as deep in the Grovelands as it does elsewhere. The traditional goblin philosophy is the disregard and abandonment of the technical progress of civilization and to shun the large civilizations built by the other races in favor of a simpler more traditional living in union with the spirits of nature. This is often mistaken by the other races as a sign of stupidity, savagery or primitive living -- these assumptions not helped by the goblins’ stubborn nature against correcting or conversing with outsiders.

However, these stereotypes do not hold completely true in the Grovelands. Oddly enough and in spite of the Grovelanders harsh and straightforward honesty and way of talking, the Grovelands are a surprisingly open minded people, and in giving the goblins that level of respect, the goblins reciprocated. They lowered their defenses enough for the two peoples to coexist happily and converse in the grovelands -- with the humans living in their boroughs and the goblins in their discrete tribal locations.

Trade is common between the two camps, and while there are territorial disputes between the two at times, their coexistence is relatively peaceful. This level of cooperation with goblins is rare, and as such, the goblins would rather keep what partnership they have garnered with the human Grovelanders and in turn usually appear to aid the Grovelanders when outside change is threatening to disrupt this balance.

Other than that, the goblin Grovelanders also hold a deep respect for the grovelands, as well as their own sense of humor -- which can be found rigid or dry in their stark and serious goblin Grovelander demeanour. Unlike their human counterparts, the goblin Grovelanders utilize shamanism -- and while they respect the human religions, they harbor their own shamanistic religion based around the direct worship of the nature spirits. This pan-goblinic religion steeped in harmless rituals and deep respect for nature, the ancestors, and the spirits is called many things depending on the tribe and location. The common name in the Grovelands is simply “The Shaman’s Path.”

The Goblins themselves rely less on harvest and farming than the humans, but instead hold a tradition of hunting in the thickest parts of the woods -- isolated from passerby. Their sacred hunting bows are used to take down the many deer, turkey’s and moose of the Grovelands. What farming is done is done in spotty segments of the forest, where shafts of light break through the canopies.

Their respect for the forests goes in so far as they refuse to harm the trees of the land, opting to only use fallen branches and logs for their unique settlements. Because of this unique outlook on wood-use, their tools tend to be fire hardened and their buildings take the form of stretched hide and canvas rather than logs.

These yurts can be so large as to have different smaller yurts stuffed inside, or have a shawl wrapped around a ring of tiny yurts as to protect from wind and snow. Added to this, the goblins tend to decorate their yurts with colorful paintings of their communities past, present and future.

Leading these colorful settlements is the elder of each clan, along with their shaman. It is a rare sight for one of these elders or shamans to make their way into a Grovelander city, but not uncommon for them to have contact with smaller hamlets and farmsteads near their clan’s homes.

Military

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Being denizens of an uncentralized cultural land, there is no official military force that blankets the Grovelands, nor is there any official levy (Unless called by a Pledge, then those who pledged form a combined partisan militia under an elected general). In lou of a pledge,the defense of the Grovelands falls squarely on the desire for the locals to keep their land the way it is, and as such, in times of trouble, the people of both human and goblin territories rise to its defense.

The military can be split into two camps (when not combined by a pledge elected general) -- goblin warriors, and human militia. Some goblin tribal warriors have plenty of seasoned practice in the art of small skirmishes and wars from experiences of violent troubles between disagreeing tribes or territory disputes, and as such are well trained in their instruments of violence.

The goblin warriors are armed with a vast array of possibilities, from hammering clubs of wood and metal, to the ever present spear and javelin (preferring retrievable throwables to bows). Their hide shields are often painted with visceral colors, and their bodies tend to match. Flexible and thick clothing or hide can be used for armor, but their true edge lies in their ‘no hesitation’ tactic of fighting, making them fierce, fearless and extremely aggressive warriors -- able to strike where most would hesitate. They are unpredictable and extremely dangerous ambushers, often choosing the battlefield through expert tactics, deception and baiting.

The humans similarly may be well trained in their particular weapons of choice, or even violence itself -- the life of a hunter, or a farmer defending their stake from raiders and ne'er do wells providing ample opportunity to learn self defense and offense. This coupled with the trained police force of some of the cities, aggressive and sometimes bloody settlement rivalries/conflicts, and the fisticuff happy bar nights, the humans of the grovelands are not as naive in the art of violence as one would expect at first sight.

Complementing the goblin’s own fighting style, the people of the Grovelands are expert ambushers -- able to use their vast hunting knowledge and puzzling terrain of the thick forests and sudden groves to their advantage against foreign troops. Bows, axes and even swords find their way to the hands of the Grovelanders, using these personal weapons to better maneuver in the tight quarters of the forests and breaking up any uniform enemy. Maneuverable shields of banded wood are popular, as are strong nasal helmets. Body armor tends to be padded cloth between thick quilts, or mail between two quilts -- whatever keeps their body safe without making them too large or heavy to make their way through the forests and fens.

Despite the Groveland’s ability to field a large amount of belligerents, as each family has something to lose in the event of an invasion, the Grovelanders both human and goblin tend to avoid large open battles -- sticking to the tactical use of their dense forests, swamps and hilly environments to ensure the victory. Traps, ambushes, and unexpected angles matched with the fierce tenacity and defiance of the denizens is what wins them their battles.

As far as their coast and naval engagements are concerned, without a centralized military or government, naval engagements are rare despite their mass of boats. Only when a major threat is imminent and a navy is truly required is when the Grovelanders attempt to Pledge the municipalities and port towns into a militia fleet. Such a fleet focuses on using the Grovelander hooks and harpoons to link themselves with enemy boats, turning each ship into a tiny battlefield where they can unleash their aforementioned tenacity.

Government

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If the Grovelands could be summarized in one word it would be ‘simple.’ This holds true for the government present in the Grovelands as well, and is even reflected in the very name of the region. In being called the Grovelands it is showing an assumption that the region is tied together by a consistent geographical feature rather than a polity, and this is a true assumption -- as there is no central or overarching government in control of the Grovelands or its people.

In place of a centralized or even decentralized government, the Grovelands is a smattering of collectives formed in familial orchards, intrafamilial hamlets, towns and even small mayoral cities. Each entity performs its own governance, with the Grovelander culture holding everything together rather than politics or law.

Despite this very loose feeling organization, the Grovelanders do feel loyalty not to a nation, but to themselves and their way of life -- banding together to fend off Gjornenahabblestrjikn raids, marauders, pillaging or conquering kingdoms and other things that may interfere with their free commonwealths. To ensure this consensus when the entire Grovelands or majority of the Grovelands is involved or in need of a decision, the cultural process of the Pledge can be called.

The Pledge is usually called by a Goblin chieftain or Human mayor, but can be called by any individual of the Grovelands. Once called, if the reason is deemed worthy of attention, the vast leaders (and others who wish to have a voice) of the Grovelands all migrate to the ancient monument of “The Gurk”, a stone statue dedicated to one of the Grovelands long past heroes, and location of the first official treaty between the Goblins and Humans.

Here at the monument, the leaders vye and express their opinion on the topic. Here generals can be elected, consensus can be reached on problems, and rivalries can be put to bed. This concept of The Pledge helps string the Grovelands together even further and provides some unified front against encroaching problems.

During a pledge, votes (if required) are tallied towards decision using finger stones, or stones that are as long as a finger and no wider than three. The same finger stones have been reused over the decades, and the process is relatively simple -- after the debate is over and everyone is ready to make their decision they toss their finger stone into a pile with others who agree with them, sometimes in front of a to be elected person, or sometimes at “The Gurk” to signify indecision. The stones are then counted and the highest pile simply wins the vote. This process gave rise to the sayings “missed it by a fingerstone” and “a decision set in stones.”

The Grovelanders themselves are considered relatively open minded should it not interfere with their daily lives but tend not to get involved with things beyond their cultural border, aside from the spare intrepid adventurer.

Religion

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The Church of the Brothers Harmony

The Church of the Brothers Harmony is unique in that is is not a physical church, nor does it have a central location of worship or authority. In the eyes of a Harmonist, the church is the collective body of all things, and worship involves prayer to the Brothers Harmony as well as self temperance and attempts to live in harmony with all else.

The Harmonist philosophy is to remove the idea of the self and embrace the sea of all else as if it was in fact you -- for in a way it is. This way of thinking favors simplistic living, where respect is given to all things -- even to livestock or hunted animals to be consumed. Harmonists as a result have developed many prayers of respect to grant to various things for various events.

While there is no formal church body or dates and times of worship, some Harmonists take it upon themselves to serve as hermetic pastors: a figure of religious guidance for small communities. These pastors attempt to uphold the ideals of Harmony, which include forgiveness, grace, peace, acceptance, selflessness and humility. They tend to live slightly displaced from the rest of the community so as to convene peacefully with the world's natural harmony in meditation and prayer.

Further, Harmonists believe that upon the death of any life that its life essence or soul will return to the Valley Unifax to be forever with the Brothers, while the physical matter that had formed its body shall be sent back into the flow of Eae't to be reborn as something new. In tandem with this belief and their belief in the creation story, they also hold the promises of the Brothers Harmony, that they will return someday, and Harmony will reign supreme.

The symbol of the Harmonists is usually one of dualities, or a natural icon. The religion is the most popular religion in The Grovelands. In the face of oppressive religious or political regimes, Harmonism may suffer the role of victim or scapegoat and have felt persecution in religious communities.

The Cult of Iac

Incoming...

Economy

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The economy of the Grovelands is vibrant and unregulated, with a lot of trade passing through the port cities and border villages. Taxes are levied in select cities by their mayoral electives, but are noticeably absent in most tribal territories, hamlets, and some even towns. One of the most sought after product produced in the Grovelands (besides their harvest) is tobacco and whale oil.

Territory

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A local map will go here, with provided information on cities, terrain features, and information on local states will go here. The bare bones minimum for this section will require general information on local territory.

Terrain

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Geography

Unsurprisingly, the Grovelands is renown for its thick twisted forests of oak, pine, beech, birch and maple as well as many open groves. It is rather hilly, however, and when digging deep the soil is considered rocky. Because of this, apple orchards and other hardy plants are grown in the suboptimal soils, giving Grovelanders their nickname “Applekin.”The hilly forests and groves aside, the Grovelands is also home to many fens and swamps, often at the base of a wooded hill or shady grove. In the west, a gentle shore hugs the Grovelands, making sea travel into and out of the Grovelands easy.

The further East one goes in the Grovelands, the thicker the forests gets, until they in turn reach the borders of Beyonder itself. This proximity gives the Groveland forests a certain mystical and mysterious shade that bejewels Grovelander folk stories with strange happenings, unheard of beasts and magics, as well as other imaginative fables.

The Grovelands itself is in a northern temperate zone, and as such experiences a short but warm summer, a long and beautiful autumn, a snowy winter, and soggy spring. The colors in the autumn are so famous that their oranges and blazing reds that contrast twisted black trunks are often painted by explorers and are easily sold in markets elsewhere.

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Notable Locations

Souton

Salty waves and cobblestone streets describes the squat city of Souton. Run by an elected mayor, Souton is one of the favored ports in the Grovelands and is renowned around Western Yzaille as the safest port to resupply in while on a passage north as well as one of the best places to get Grovelander goods.

Its road system is considered a nightmare by most, with the buildings having been built rashly close to one another in non uniform patterns and styles. Souton is a melting pot of seafaring cultures that dominate the western coasts of Yzaille and as such it resembles the many groups of people that call it home -- giving it a mosaic look.

Considered the largest municipality in the Grovelands, it is also famed for its cuisine -- having blended a mixture of local favorites with the signature dishes of nations far beyond the groves.

While large, squished, and a pattern of many, crime is relatively low. The locals are considered tough, sensibly rowdy, and able to defend themselves easily, and that coupled with a dedicated street and port watch makes most criminals think twice before starting trouble.

Due to the possibility of sea raids past, present and future -- Souton is also one of the few places in the Grovelands that boasts an actual standing military. The small yet expert force is paid for by the locals, and serves as a further deterrent against deviant behavior from near and afar.

Bedford

Similar to Souton and positioned more to the south (and away from raids), Bedford is on par if not ahead of Souton as the Grovelands largest fishing community. Being so embedded in its fishing culture, scrimshaw can be seen on almost every window among the cobblestone streets and squished buildings. Tales of sea beasts, vindictive whalers, and other salty yarns spill through the drinking shacks and parlors.

A favored dish of the Bedford residents, and one that has spread far and wide (although contended where it began) is a healthy plate of breaded white fish and roasted potatoes, sometimes served with lemons traded in from the southern kingdoms and duchies or pickled cucumbers minced in a mayonnaise.

Worcester

Worchester is the largest inland municipality in the Grovelands. It’s central position in the grovelands make it an excellent stop for anyone passing through or for local farmers looking to sell their goods. Unlike most settlements in the Grovelands, Worchester boasts a wall and is divided in half by the Millville river. The Millville is slow moving at the surface but quickens as you go deeper, making it perfect for powering mills for grain and other threshing needs.

The Millville river was named after the small upriver hamlet where legendary figure John Dover was supposedly born. The folkhero Dover is accredited with creating the river when he had beat his opponent in a rock skipping match for the hand of his bride. He was said to have been so incredibly strong that he had skipped a boulder that ripped through the land and turned the lake into the contemporary river.

The legend goes on to suggest that Dover in his old age founded the western half of Worchester and his old opponent founded the eastern half.. The two halves eventually coming together as one Worchester. A small, sibling rivalry still remains between the two halves, but it is relatively harmless and more of a sense of pride.

Attleborough

While it doesn’t boast the melting pot style of Souton, or the markets of Worchester -- the smaller town of Attleboro is important in that it is one of the southernmost settlements.

Deeply set in the swampy south and pushed between bogs full of cranberries, sunny pumpkin patches, and hilly apple groves, Attleborough is a quiet and simple place -- serving almost as the tiny gate to the rest of the Grovelands. The only true reasons anyone goes to Attleborough is for family, or to try their famous cranberry breads and pastries.

Being set in the eastern corner of the south, Attleborough also boasts an eerie cemetery land -- said to be haunted by the forces of Beyonder. Most notably is a tiny stone hut that has sat on its ancient foundations longer than anyone can remember.

The Cacoree Territory

Situated east of Worchester and north of Attleboro, the Cacoree territory is the claimed lands of the Cacoree goblin tribe. Being one of the largest tribes in the Grovelands, it also has the largest claimed territory of operation.

The forest here is incredibly thick and dark, with sparse underbrush and towering trees with everclosing canopies and understory. This sort of environment favors the Cacoree style of ambush hunting as well as pushing skittish prey such as deer into ambush zones through controlled herding. This open grounded forest also provides plenty of space for the yurt complexes the goblins are known for, even using larger trees as central pillars for multiple story yurt complexes known as Cacoree towers.

The Cacoree themselves are known for being one of the most involved tribes, commonly trading with humans and being foremost present in interracial politics between the two races. They are also considered very aggressive towards policies, mayors, and outsiders who would favor pathways that lead to the Grovelands losing its distinct level of freedom -- often being the first to answer pledges, first to raise arms against invasions, and the first to attack traitors to the Grovelander way of life -- not eager to relive the persecution faced during the years of the ____ Empire.

Ashton

Souton isn’t the only settlement full of different peoples, and Ashton is a monument to this. Settled by seafaring [Sigmoo bug peeps] peoples, Ashton is a small home away from home for the [blank] culture -- now mixed with the pleasantries of Grovelander tradition.

It is located west of Worchester but inland of the western coast. [details wip]

The Northern Shores

North of Souton, along the coast, the shores of the Grovelands turn rockier, with splatterings of outlets and islands pocking the ocean waves. This gentle break up of the ocean is home to various fishing towns and villages. Here life is a lot slower than in the other regions of the Grovelands, even reflecting in the slower accent and “a-yup” way of talking. While these northerners hold the Groveland way of life dear to themselves, this sub community is considered a lot more relaxed. Seafood is the staple diet of the northerners, being famous for their lobsters and crab.

The Northern Mountains

East inland of the Northern shores is where the hills turn to towering mountains. It is here that a lot of minerals are harvested and livestock becomes staple over crops. Cows and pigs are often seen, with cheese being a major product of these lands. It gets colder here and the snow of winter stays longer the higher you go.

The people here reflect a mix of the culture of the rest of the Grovelands as well as the Northern Shores people, but with reliance more on animal products than seafood. They often consider themselves Mountain people, and refer to the other Grovelanders as Flatlanders. The farms here are famous for their cheddar, milk, and maple products.

Factions & People & Characters

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Gerald Thatcher: A now aged folk hero of yore. He became famous when he slew a dragon that was terrorizing the Cacoree territories almost thirty years ago. He is now an old crippled man.

Joseph Thatcher: The son of the fabled Gerald Thatcher. Living in his father's shadow and in the dust of poverty, Joseph Thatcher quickly grew a reputation for being a nobody -- resorting to the bottle and the easy way out at all times. He is no stranger to trouble, and while he has the best intentions in his heart, he is not an innocent soul, not anymore.

Eustace Harper: Joseph Thatcher's best friend and a native of Souton. Being a lazy slob of a man, he found no stain with associating with Joseph and still doesn't. Some say it is his reckless actions that get Joseph tangled in the most trouble, but he is always saying "He doesn't have to fuckin' be here if he doesn't want to!"

Elizabeth: A woman with a muddled past, she finds herself saving herself from her own mind by running a boat for rent out of Souton. She is deeply religious and holds superstition close to her chest. Whatever she had done in her youth, she sails away from it in her middle age.

Yerdiax: A once notorious killer and murderer. His youth was stabbed with plight and mental illness that eventually lead him to a life of blood, anger and money. In recent years the shame had finally caught up with him, and now he quests for redemption -- be it in the form of a guardian angel to those who would suffer a similar fate in his childhood, or otherwise.

Ruth Brimfield: Estranged ex-lover of Joseph Thatcher. They had met when he had moved with Harper to the south and had several run ins. It was only in the past year that Ruth had grown tired of Joseph's drunken behavior and fearing it could grow violent had separated with him, but not entirely.

Patrick Brimfield: Ruth and Joseph's infant child, he is in the care of Ruth and is the object of Joseph's guilt and the only tie that keeps Ruth in contact with him -- if but barely.

Notables

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Cloudlings

Cloudlings are strange cotton ball sized and shaped animals. They are made entirely of a cloud-like material and are known to be extremely gregarious, even imprinting themselves on Grovelanders -- especially the more adventurous and fun. Their ecological role is one of a pollinator, as they saturate their tiny bodies in sugars at every available opportunity -- pollinating flowers in the process. With the introduction of civilization, however, cloudlings are a renown pest as well as pet -- often getting into liquor stores and wine cellars, where they saturate themselves to the point of asexual reproduction in a form similar to mitosis. Many cloudling swarms have been made from a carelessly left open basement door giving a thirsty cloudling clearance to high spirits.

The cloudlings communicate through tiny “zzt”s, pops and crackles, being able to discharge tiny bits of static electricity. They often bumble into each other in the wild, creating tiny droplets of rain or harmless discharges of static. They don’t have much in the ways of defense, as they have no natural predators and are very hard to destroy. Their true lifespan is unknown, in no short part due to their similar appearances among themselves and random spurts of clone-like reproduction. Personality wise, these social pollinators tend to be not only gregarious but suffer from animalistic gluttony, bold ego, and often aggressive defense of those they are imprinted upon with little regard for their own safety. More than once there have been stories of tiny cloudlings saving a favored child from a stray dog or coyote by giving the attacker a shocking zap up the nose.

Cloudlings prefer colonizing inland areas with plenty of vegetation and that aren't too dry, barren, or hot.

Daffotales

Daffotales are an extraordinarily rare and unique species of daffodils -- if they are even related. These flowers usually grow alone deep in the forests, rooted where shafts of bright light spear through the canopy. They wiggle when approached, as if dancing -- and then proceed to either retell a story they were told/overheard, or fancifully tell the story of something they had witnessed. Some daffotales are extremely gregarious and will spill every story they can think of without regard for privacy, while others demand a story in return for their own -- a way to expand their repertoire.

How they came about is heavily rumored. The goblins claim they are the souls of lost children who had disrespected the most sacred parts of the groves and put into the ground by punishing nature spirits. This explanation sometimes includes adults, while Grovelanders themselves sometimes claim that they are the souls of stillborn children that had been buried in the forest -- or sometimes even the victims of starvation.

The Seer of Yarmouth

Hidden in the rocky islands of the north is said to be an aging seer. The seer is said to be able to tell you how you are to die and can be identified by the layers of goats wool and rattling jewelry that they wear. Their precise location is unknown, but rumor has it that during misty low tides, you can hear the oracle herd bleating goats on near the islands of Yarmouth.

Using this method of search along with the help of northern shore locals, Rachel Piper was said to have made the journey to the seer when she was a young teenager. Whatever happened at the home of the seer, if it was found or not, changed her forever -- turning her into the brave, fearless adventurer that common legends know her as. Most assume that she clearly found out how she was to die, and knowing when it wasn’t to happen -- rushed forward into danger without any regard for it.

The Gurken

No one is quite sure how the Gurken got their name, with it being an old word for ‘Cucumber,’ but it stuck. Despite the mundane name, the Gurken are revered not only in the Grovelands, but across Eae't as enigmatic and legendary envoys of whatever forest they are found in.

They are shy and quiet, going so far as to wear a wooden mask over their faces at all times. Their bodies are short (roughly 3-4 feet high) and completely made out of soil and moss, with strong wood acting as bones. Sometimes small plants grow on their soil covered bodies, giving them the look of a floral mosaic. Many naturalistic religions harbor them as sacred, or even outright worship them as the physical representation of a nature spirit. Sometimes decades will go by between sightings of a Gurk, but spotting one is always considered good luck, especially in times of need.

Despite their mythical reputation, the Gurken are also very childlike in their mannerisms, being naive or curious -- often sighting stories recall them playing with wild forest creatures and admiring plants. In legend, ancient dryads often refer to them as children of the forest, and when one goes questing -- it invokes the image of a young, child adventurer on a noble journey of great importance, an occasion rarer than a Gurk itself. In common fables, Cloudlings are rumored to be good friends of the Gurken, so many artists depicting a questing Gurk with wooden (and almost toy like) sword and shield almost always have a cloudling by their shoulder.

Justice

How crime and punishment is processed depends greatly on where you are in the Grovelands. Each municipality, tribe and hamlet is unique and holds absolute authority on how they wish to deal with the subject of justice. Of course as in most societies, fairness is universally sought out in each case.

The process of determining guilt is as varied as the people of the Grovelands but the most common and easiest process is to prove someone’s guilt to a judicial figure -- be it a mayor, an actual judge, an elder, or religious leader. Some cities such as Souton actually use a jury of locals to determine guilt, while other places, such as Attleboro, uses a single judge elected from the town’s elders.

Punishment is varied as well, with richer cities using jailhouses to hold minor convicts and drunks for a few days, or simply fining them -- but the most common punishment for major crimes is exile or banishment from the settlement and sometimes the entirety of the Grovelands. The choice is most often up to the judicial figure or municipality law and although rare, the most heinous of crimes have at times been met with fatal mob justice.

The Leviathan

The very mention of its name brings fear to the south shore sailors. The fortunate truth of the beast is that it is more often mentioned than ever seen, but when it is, it is said to be like the ocean itself had opened its maw to swallow entire ships whole. No one is quite sure where the Leviathan came from, or if there is more than one -- but at least one terrorizes the southern reaches of the Groveland coast and beyond.

While most encounters are anecdotal, the common theme is a surprise surfacing followed by a crashing mouth fitted with countless teeth reaching in rows that ring even down the throat. It’s skin is said to be pale like the ocean on a still day, making it that much harder to comprehend when it breaks out of a mound of waves with lifeless black eyes the size of carriages.

[Slagar]

@goldeagle1221

You are on the right path, but I would expand just a bit more on the government? It sounds more like a loose collection of tribes then a nation? Also be sure to have a characters tab, a tab for named characters who will likely appear or are named in your NS.

[Slagar]

@adorablesaucer
Great sheet, a bit difficult to read in places, but I only have a few suggestions and I will approve of it.
(1) The faction section needs some general work in regard to finishing up, and generally needs just to look polished.
(2) Because it is hard to read because the information can be a bit all over the place, I'd want you to divide up sections of government into separate paragraphs. (Optional)

I believe, barring anything I may miss and you just need to polish up your faction section and you will be set to go me dude. Welcome.

[Drazan]

Varkovnia

=-=General Information=-=

• Capital City: Volchya
• Demonym: Varkovnian
• Spoken Languages:
  -Varkanian
  -Elven (Anqualan)
• Religions:
  -Varkovnian Paganism
  -
• Government: Feudal despotism
  - Princezna: Velinka Czermak
• Population:

=Overview=
Varkovnia is a semi-feudal polity proclaiming to rule over a region known as Vozinya which roughly lies between Olman and the Zworszak Mountains to the northwest with Zemnalkov bordering it to the north. It is a despotic state ruled by the Princezna Velinka who rules from Castle Valasek. It is populated by humans, elves, gnomes, and has recently conquered towns of Vozinya where a wealthy aristocratic republic once posed as a rival to Olman. Velinka’s influence in Vozinya increases by the day with aspirations to conquer its entirety.

-=Ethnicities=-

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=Varkovnian=

Varkovnian, alternatively Varkan, are a human people found throughout Varkovnia. They have dusky skin ranging from pale olive-tan to light brown. Dark hair is the norm with thick,stocky builds. Both genders grow their hair long with men having their hair reach above their shoulders. Women wear their hair long. Younger men often have beards while married men often shave. Unmarried women wear a headscarf while those who are married will wear their hair long. Once a city people, recent history has forced them to once more take to living in forests and have adapted to their harsh environments.

=Elkadan (Human)=
The Elkadan, or People of the Elk Forests, were once a pale skinned nomadic group which wandered the northern forests of Weskas and were the primary driving force which founded the new kingdoms in the heartland of the former Muha empire.Elkadan are unnaturally tall, have deep black hair, and have round noses. Elkadan in the current age is more closer culturally to the Muoazin, but are primarily a rural people who have unkempt beards and live in small clans. Many Elkadan are a fairly honorable people, but are also considered unnaturally violent. They largely live in the eastern reaches of what is Varkovnia with a reputation for being the primary tradesmen of the land.

=Anqualan=
Wood Elves, the Anqualans were the first people to settle the region that is known as Teriasevo and Gsokevnia and having extended into Yejhdahri. They were subjugated by the Muha Imperium although due to their elven heritage and close proximity to core Muha lands, they quickly became an integral and accepted part of Muha society. They have since taken to more rural life styles, living in the forests of Zemnalkov. In Varkovnia they are often seen with suspicion, yet, the Suzeran Velinka Czermak reportedly is an Anqualan to the chagrin of the humans.
=Gsomvrosian=
The Humans that are present throughout much of Southern Zemnalkov and northern Varkovnia. They are the descendants of the Elkadan that traveled north and integrated for a time in Anqualan society. In Varkovnia they are largely found in larger towns working for guilds.

---

-=History=-

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=The First Age| The Muha Imperium=
The land known as Vozinya was a disparate collection of city states and easily fell to the sway of the Muha one by one. However, the area became a hotbed of tension and revolt as the local faiths and traditions were not respected by the conquerors. Furthermore, local nobility were not granted lost privileges leading to noble-led revolts in the region forcing some concessions and anonymity to Vozinya to lower dissent and remove the Imperium of the more troublesome of the revolts until the area was largely integrated and significantly developed as a core part of the Imperium until the imperium began to buckle and collapse.
=2nd Age, 1-223| The Fall of Muha=
When the Muhakim were suffering from revolt across its territory, taxation rose, levies were raised, and the area became tapped for resources in order to restore control and maintain stability across the Imperium. Yet, loosened control and significant anonymity allowed the magnates to easily gather and sign a charter declaring Vozinya’s separation from the Imperium. A Mukahim force later challenged this, primarily with Vozinyan conscripts leading to a local civil war between those who benefited from the Imperium and those who desired independence from the elves. In the end, pro-independence forces were victorious and signed a charter to create an aristocratic republic in Vozinya.
=2nd Age, 223-234| The Republic of Vozinya=
Following independence, the Republic of Vozinya established itself as a major commercial power with a mercenary army that kept the peace in the land. The seven major cities of the republic flourished for over a decade. The cities became increasingly interconnected with a common sense of identity. Elected as Prince of the Republic was Drazenko Chaykovskiy who soon passed edicts to safeguard noble privileges ensure a balance of power between the seven major centers of Vozinya. However, the peace was short-lived as the arrival of the Elkadan realm of Olma led to hostilities. Unprepared as a unified military force, the Olman armies quickly conquer over half of Vozinya within a year.

=2nd Age, 234-244| The Olman Wars=
Pelom the Bold of Olma’s army utilized superior speed of cavalry to easily outmaneuver the infantry and militia of Vozinya before Vozinyan professional mercenaries of heavy infantry and bowmen could support traditional city defenders leading to the diastrous battle of Fyodor Fields in early 234. Farmlands were torched and the south and east of Vozinya was sacked and occupied as Pelom’s forces moved north toward Krenirelvka and Gsokevnia. Despite the ease of Pelom’s conquest, the remaining cities of Vozinya organized an army under the burgomeister of Volchya Misko Sirota in 242. With word of an Olman setback in Teriasevo the Vozinyan forces launched launched an attack on the occupied towns as Pelom’s Army fell in disarray. Harassed and chased back to Olma, the Olman forces were largely a shadow of their former glory when they first arrived in 223. With the removal of Olman occupation in most of Vozinya a peace was signed guaranteeing peace for ten years and an indemnity paid to the Republic’s coffers to avoid a counter-invasion. However, no threat of invasion was in sight by the time the peace treaty ended and coincided with years of peaceful commerce in the region between Olma, Anqualith, Vozinya, and the Elkadan Marches. Being at the center led to the urbanization and establishment of key universities and centers of learning not before seen among the Vozinyan people.
=2nd Age, 244-345| Vozinyan Golden Century=
The end of the war proved the catalyst needed to fully unify the people of Vozinya as years of warfare cemented a bond not only in language and culture, but through war and struggle against a superior, organized force. As a result, the Republic underwent reforms to strengthen the Prince at the expense of the nobility. Popular among the masses, the reforms would lead to tensions and intrigue that would make humiliation, assassination attempts, and duels common place. In spite of this, education, the arts, and culture flourished as literature from the land’s past, folklore, medicine, and maths spread knowledge and wealth moved around the land resulting in well-built and maintained roadways and the decline of bandits and highwaymen due to regular patrols.

=2nd Age, 345-428| Stagnation=
Despite the incredible progress made in establishing a wealthy realm continued internal political turmoil soon turned to a head during the election of 345 when the top two candidates were assassinated within a week of another. The nobility broke into factions as they blamed each other for the murders. In 346 following delays, riots, and even the expulsion of all Olmans from the cities to the countryside, Prince Vladimir Istrati was elected.

Coming from a faction of traditionalists and a pious man, he used the empowered Prince’s position to restrict printing of literature he found suspect and imprisoned many political opponents as ‘witches’. Furthermore, he gave tacit support to a pogrom against Elkadans leading to a sudden migration to Anqualith which disrupted labor and increased costs of workers as well as causing the degradation of several established merchant guilds. Trade ground to a halt leading to periodic famine and strife as patrols began to loosen on the highways. Banditry became commonplace and an insurrection broke out against Prince Vladimir which was not strong enough to usurp him from Volchya but he was not capable of fully crushing it either, leading to a lingering conflict that killed thousands. Trade shifted around Vozinya leading to further decline in wealth and internal fighting caused several mercenary bands to either leave for better pastures or to mutiny and sack villages.

In 401 Volchya was sacked leading to an exodus to the countryside and an end to the Prince of Vozinya’s influence as the major power center lost its fangs. By 428 Vozinya was de-facto a collection of city states, quasi-independent boyars, and burgomeisters falling into the influence of more powerful nobles.

=2nd Age, 429-464| The Zworszak Wars=

As the political fragmentation of Vozinya was complete, the Gnomish realm of Wódzile found itself in a favorable position as the humans to their east faltered. Despite a previous conquest by the Centaurs to the south, two cities of the Gnomish realm on the eastern edge of the Zworszak mountains prospered with trade and soon the Gnomes found themselves utterly dominating their human counterparts in trade to a point they raised the price of minerals and necessary materials for construction, horses, and warfare as well as loans that soon went underpaid. Instead of repaying severe loans owed to the guilds in Wódzile, Vozinya under Prince Radacek Varkov launched a war in 429 to invade and conquer the Gnomes.

In 441 several towns in the west fell and a humiliating peace was made re-confirming the debts owed by the Republic of Vozinya and also led to further poisoning the already weakened political system. Prince Radacek lost his seat of power disgraced. Several noble families established ties with the Gnomish towns and soon interdependence allowed the Gnomes to persuade nobles to pass laws or elect Princes they thought as less problematic. However, in 452 another war broke out again under a recently re-elected Prince Radacek returned with a large army of elven mercenaries to the distaste of the entire realm and to the shock of the Gnomes who considered the human enmity for elves too great to allow such an act. In Prince Radacek’s desire for revenge the Gnomish settlements were razed and the Gnomes displaced as Vozinya was victorious in 464. A peace was declared, turning the remaining territory of Wódzile into a vassal state subservient to the Lord of Volchya. With the wealth of the Gnomes taken, Radacek used the wealth to fund wars against the other leading nobles, crushing them utterly and turning Vozinya into his own feudal realm which he would not so humbly call Varkovnia.

=2nd Age, 464-625| The Varkovnian State=
For the next two decades Prince Radacek Varkov ensured his major rivals were either slain, banished, or their lands revoked. He placed his own family in seats across the land and fully unified Vozinya into a true kingdom. In 481, forty years after Radacek launched his invasion, the Prince died passing his throne to his son Pavel. Prince Pavel Varkov would be the first monarch to succeed another in Vozinya. Unlike his father’s rule, Prince Pael would be a beloved ruler that managed to not only keep the realm together despite the calls of a return to the republican system but also through an invasion of monsters from the lands of Ok’va.

The monstrous invasion laid waste to the Princedom’s east as wyverns, gryphons, cockatrices, werewolves, fae, undead creatures, and supposedly ‘demons’ assailed many townships. Prince Pavel would occasionally call The Long Hunt at Castle Valasek in 510 whereupon he gathered the greatest monster hunters of the land to destroy the monsters plaguing the lands. Each decade he would re-new the call which would become a continued tradition for centuries to come. A series of princes of House Varkov would continue until 610 as continued republican agitation stirred and House Varkov found its fortunes expended, an anti-Varkov coalition arose from the disgruntled and displaced nobility that returned from Olma with cavalry, mercenaries, and disaffected Varkovnians in a war to restore the Vozinyan Republic.
=2nd Age, 625-642| Krenirelvka-Vozinya War=
A pro-republican force defeated Prince Radu Varkov in 625 at the Battle of Semenov leading to the restoration of the Republic of Vozinya. However, the effects of Varkovnian state had a profound effect on the land and people were not as enthusiastic about an aristocratic republic as the nobles who regained their privileges and lands. By the time newly elected Prince Teodor Kerensky was nearly finished with the 629 siege of Castle Valasek to unseat and exterminate the remnants of House Varkov, war broke out between Vozinya and Krenirelvka to the north.

With limited options and desperation, Prince Zivko Varkov called upon his Gnomish vassals to aid him with the condition they would be returned their independence at the end of the war with Prince Teodor. He quickly sought to ally himself with Krenirelvka in order to defeat the Republican Vozinyan forces to restore himself on the Varkovnian throne.

=2nd Age,640s-740| Fall of Vozinya=
The collapse of the Varkovnian forces led to the exile of Prince Zivko. The Republic, however, was in disarray. The wars proved utterly disastrous and trade routes were plundered, leaving many towns isolated and impoverished. Farmlands ran fallow or were put to the torch. An exodus from the cities followed. The cities of Sarnogorsk and Tairnipol were destroyed and their ruins became infested with creatures of the night. Vengeful spirits and the undead plagued the eastern countryside and bickering nobles contested the election of 660 leading to the loss of central authority.

To make matters worse, goblin raiders swarmed the land from the north. Virtually every major city was sacked and plundered for its riches. What followed was a ferocious attack by a large pack of worgs on the retinue of Prince Ostvik Romansk who alongside the remaining leading nobles and boyarski perished. As disorder reigned, the Republic of Vozinya virtually collapsed by 670 and ceased to function as a polity. Anarchy remained and towns and villages were left to their own devices.

The Varkovnian people lived in fear as they adapted to their new reality. No armies would be formed, no powerful noble would raise an army to conquer what had become a virtual backwater, and no hope would reach the increasingly bleak people of the land. Instead, opportunists, adventurers, and monster hunters would come in small, but increasing numbers.

Following the sacking of Volchya and other major centers untouched by the war by goblinoid invaders, the Republic collapsed and soon major cities outside of Volchya became depopulated and abandoned. Monsters then took hold and trade was disrupted to the point the magnates’ lands were lost and complete anarchy subsumed Vozinya as it devolved into local rule.

=2nd Age, 750s-Present| Rise of Varkovnia=
The end of centralized leadership persisted until Jaromir Prohaszka raised an army to conquer the land centuries after the Republic’s fall. Prohaszka inspired men to fight the monsters plaguing the land and defeated numerous petty kings. Soon the land began to unify under Prohaszka. However, a great battle between men and a horde of beasts led to the defeat of Jaromir’s army in 760. Soon after, he disappeared. Legend says he would return one day to finish his unification of Varkovnia to lead it into a golden era. Since then, an enigmatic figure known as Velinka Czermak took hold of Castle Valasek and has ruled over Volchya since 761. The elven ruler proved unpopular and was seen as somewhat lackadaisical in reign. Yet, since the 970s, she began to place mercenary enforcers in nearby towns to forcibly assert her control over the former Vozinya into her growing realm of Varkovnia. Her policy of slowly, patiently taking small territory over time gave way to increasingly aggressive actions in recent years.

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-=Culture=-

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=Appearance=

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-Physical Appearance-
The Varovnian people are often lean of build and dusky-skinned who are usually fit in order to survive the harsh world they inhabit. Brown eyes are common while green eyes is believed to be a sign of being favored by the gods.
-Clothing-
Clothing is practical with fur, wool, and warm clothing being common as well as caps and fur coats with bear and mink coats being well sought after.
-Cosmetics-
Tatoos and make-up is not uncommon despite the general lack of wealth in many parts of Varkovnia. It is not uncommon to see people in the countryside wear kohl underneath their eyes or for runic tattoos to be seen on persons’ bodies including the arms, torso, or hands.
-Jewelry-
Jewelry is relatively uncommon and usually seen in the larger towns of Varkovnia in particular the city of Volchya with emeralds being seen as the most valuable gemstone.
-Hygiene-
Most Varkovnians are rather poor, but attempt to bathe themselves at least once a week. The common human peasantry often smell poor in contrast to elves, gnomes, and those in larger towns. The production of soap was once a common good throughout Vozinya and later Varkovnia.

=Traditions=

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-Rite of Passage-
Most Varkovnian humans are considered of age by 15 years and is around the time most are expected to play a larger role in their communities. This is helped by the relatively high death rate and short-lifespan many Varkovnians will have in their lives. A common rite of passage is to send youths to nearby, isolated villages on a dangerous journey to visit relatives on their own. At this point most will have basic survival skills and prepared with knowledge and warding gestures to keep evil at bay.

In elven communities the young go on a hunt to claim the bounty of a ferocious wild beast or monster in order to take their place as an adult in elven society given the Anqualan people’s connection with nature and the wilderness. One must be able to use their wits and skill to overcome monsters far mightier than them and more numerous than them in order to keep their people safe from the many dangers of the world, including those of men and other humanoid races who’d encroach on their territory.

Gnomish youth are often tasked with coming up with a new invention or perform a task to impress their elders with their ingenuity and creativity in a manner that would benefit Gnomish society as a whole.
-Burial-
Varkovnian humans are often buried in small cemeteries in their home villages. Gifts are given by family and close friends to the deceased to symbolize the importance the deceased had in their lives. Songs of joy are sung to celebrate the life of the person, focusing on the positive difference made by him/her. Priests bless the grave to prevent dark magic from perverting the body and to help the soul find passage into the afterlife.

Varkovnian elves perform a ritual that involves entire communities as it is a rare occasion and significant one when an elf passes given the small numbers their people have these days. The

-Gender Roles-
Varkovnia was once quite a patriarchal society, however, with the fall of the nation practicality has outweighed old traditions as a result of the need to survive with the role of women considered on par with men in terms of tasks assigned and given. Both men and women hunt, serve in local militias, and conduct manual labor to ensure their communities survive the harsh reality they live in. Women normally take a leading role in the household, however, it’s not too uncommon for men, especially those who are injured or maimed, to rear young while their wives work to put food on the table.
-Festivals and Holidays-
The changing of seasons each have their own festivals with Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer being celebrated. The harvest is commemorated with a night of feasting and celebration. Prayers are uttered to many gods in order to achieve a bountiful harvest and protect livestock from predation.

The second day of the new year is Jaromir’s Day, celebrating the heroism of the man and a day the legendary triumphs of many Varkovnians are celebrated as well as a time when bold hunters display trophies from their escapades. Those who slew mightier beasts become local celebrities and free drinks. The famous Hruzaski (Literally: Terror Hunter) or monster hunters of Varkovnia in particular gather to boast of their great deeds together.

The second week of Spring has Barghest Maltzurrak’s Day, where all Varkovnians stay indoors for the entire day. The tale is said of an infamous ghostly black worg said to kidnap wandering children who disobeyed their parents. Depending on the village, he tale of Barghest Maltzurrak tells of how the beast takes children’s souls to consume them, imprison them, or, worst yet, turn them into her monstrous children to feed on the innocent. The traveler who enters a village on this day will find an eeriely quiet town seemingly abandoned. It is considered an ill-omen of an impending attack should the howling of wolves’ be heard on this evening.
-Hospitality-
In general Varkovnians are wary and suspicious of outsiders. Those who are strangers could be a shapechanger seeking to gain trust and entry in order to kidnap children or murder others to sate their sick, monsterish desires or so the Varkovnians believe. The more hospitable seem detached and give basic niceties to travelers, especially if they pay well or appear well-groomed and wealthy as it is believed monsters care nothing for wealth therefore vagrants and poor-looking strangers are frequently chased away out of fear.

=Religion=

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-Place in Society-
Religion once played a key role in Varkovnia, however, the diverse pantheon of Varkovnian gods has steadily fallen out of favor as despair and hopelessness has caused most to give essentially lip-service to the gods unless a family member is ill then seers and priests of the gods are suddenly well-sought after to heal their family from their clear impiety. The most favored gods are
-View of Priests-
Priests are often revered and respected, however, they are not often sought after unless a family wants something which is normally blessings, protection from evil spirits, or a cure to illness and disease. As of late there has been an increase in the piety and offerings given to priests or their functionaries in order to please the gods.
-View of the Gods-
The gods are viewed as demanding and largely uncaring about the people, but the more pious would argue that is because of the lack of piety of the majority with each new generation of the elderly decrying the lack of reverence by the younger generations. As of late, the recent Varkovnian generation of age has grown more pious than previous generations coinciding with increasing fortunes of the people. This has begun an increase in belief of the gods and increased offerings and rituals to keep the favor seemingly earned.

=Family=

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-The Family Unit-
Varkovnian families are often large if they can afford to be without starvation. It is not uncommon for families to have three generations living under the same roof and for their neighbors to be direct relations. This has led to the need for adolescents to travel to different villages to avoid inbreeding with their own blood. Families often belong to a local clan that protects each other and discuss issues in surroundings villages in local councils made of the strongest, richest,and eldest men and women.
-Marriage-
Marriage is often a contract between families for the survival of the two families coming together with arranged marriages being common. Wealth or resources are traded as well as common protection against local threats of bandits, monsters, and forces of nature. However, folklore and tradition has many young couples forming out of love in spite of family wants or desires, leading to tensions that result in ostracization of rebellious couples that must leave their villages for stranger parts of Varkovnia.

-Pets-
Domestication of animals include livestock and dogs, which have recently been relatively recently tamed from wild wolves. The Vozinyan Wolfhound is both a guardian and a hunting companion for hunters and gamesmen with characteristics of wolves in that barking is rare and they are seen as tools and useful companions in their working lives.

=Serfdom=

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-Acquisition-
Serfdom is the system in which peasants are tied to the lands of the lords appointed above them. The number of serfs in Varkovnia has decreased since the collapse of the Vozinyan Republic, but it remains significant in parts of the realm where remnants of old families maintain estates and influence townships and villages. Most are born into serfdom, but criminals of free persons can also become serfs.
-Ownership-
Landed nobles are privileged to own serfs and can determine whether or not one can be freed from their obligations with unlimited authority in a manner not differing much in slavery in several respects.
-View of Slavery-
Varkovnians are a free-willed, independent minded people and most dislike serfdom. It is a dying institution from the bygone era of strong nobility. As it stands Princezna Velinka is the only strong noble and the rest of the land is largely governed by burgomeisters either independently chosen by its elders or appointed directly by her, therefore diminishing the role of serfdom and nobility.

=Food=

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-Kinds of Foods-
Varkovnia has numerous foods that befit the diet of peasants and woodsmen with meat of beasts being commonplace and to a lesser extent flesh of monsters that feast on man. Some traditional foods include: Bors soup, rice, beans, Carnati, mamliga, gouda cheese, sarmale, Vozinyan Wine, Varkovnian spirits, and Shawarma.
-Eating Habits-
Varkovnians have increasingly become carnivores due to the loss of farmland to moors, forests, and the increasing importance and tradition of hunting for game. Outside of festivals or celebration Varkovnians eat relatively due to the relative poverty they live in.

=Entertainment=

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-Music-
Music is perhaps one of the most important aspects of Varkovnian culture. Music and songs express many stories, moods, and emotions with competitions being commonplace. Bards and musicians are commonplace with common themes of tragedy and hardship, but also songs of overcoming difficulty and of supernatural feats supposedly witnessed.
-Dancing-
Outside of festivals and holidays dancing is rare and there is little sophistication in it other than the ecstasy of enjoying a rare occasion of joy in an otherwise harsh and solemn lifestyle about survival.
-Games and Sports-
Hunting is a common sport for Varkovnians given their ties to the land around them. Archery therefore is a common competition in villages as is wrestling.
-Stories-
Stories in Varkovnia include glory of a rich past, including that of the Republic of Vozinya and grand cities that are only legendary now. A common story is about the disappearance of the hero Jaromir Prohaszka and his supposed return with an army of brave warriors to come to the salvation of the people. Another includes the stories of ghosts and monsters taking away children and the innocent to be sacrificed to evil gods or worse to return as monsters in order to consume their loved ones such as the tale of the werewolf or the barghest.
.Another tale speaks of Zivko Varkov’s ghost wandering around demanding revenge for the betrayal that led to his death and robbery of his land from him. There are whispers the spectre of a king makes demands of those he encounters that must be answered or faced with death.
-Performance-
Arts from the remnants of old Vozinya exist with open-air theatre existing in small towns as well as shadow puppetry which remains popular across Varkovnia. Puppetry is seen as mysterious and mystical as well as a good medium for sharing folklore and tales and the nearest thing to ‘sorcery’ that most would tolerate.

=Language=

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Varkannian is the primary language of Varkovnia, which is spoken by most of its human inhabitants and significant number of its elven and gnomish population speak or understand it as well with Anqualan elven being as secondary tongue. Despite Pincezna being Anqualan she is said to primarily speak in Varkannianwhen seen.

-Written Form-

The written language of Varkovnia is based on the Anqualan
-Dialects-
Varkannian is closely related to its parent language Vozinyan which Varkovnian has emerged from. The dialects of Varkovia are based on region with the most common divisions being ‘western’, ‘eastern’, and ‘southern’ dialects. However, dialects are often divided between major towns and outlying villages due to relative isolation. Each region borrows some from local languages therefore likely leading to increasing divergence in the land in language.

=Craftmanship=

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-Tools and Weapons-
Most weaponry found in Vozinya is made of iron or steel with silver-edged weaponry being uncommon and made for slaying monsters. There are rare tools and weapons of legend with magic-runes but those are few and far between. Gnomes are said to also be capable of using alchemical to create magical blades, but if such a thing exists it is likely held between few or is simply gossip.
-Architecture-
The towns of Vozinya once sported huge spires, crowded, yet organized and well-built cities that once had great visions of city-planning to house cities with populations beyond 100,000 in the distant past. As of now, these buildings can be seen in a ruined state as large cities’ ruins dot the landscape as wildlife, plantlife, and monsters now reclaim these places from the realm of men. Most villages and small towns have small wooden buildings with thatch or wooden roofs being common. Castle Valasek’s majesty as a castle is perhaps the most maintained reminder of the architectural beauty and mystique of Varkovnia’s past.
-Art-
Paintings and mosiacs were once commonplace in Vozinya and are a treasured rarity in Varkovnia today with depictions of Princes, nobles, warriors, and gods depicted as well as events such as battles, weddings, tragedies, or triumphs throughout Varkovnian history. A famous piece is a tapestry commenorating Vozinyan victory against the Mukahim Imperium known to be in Castle Valasek itself.

=Psychology=

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Varkovnians are a people that are mired in survivalist instincts in isolated villages and small towns with deep, black forests filled with monsters and beasts. This has led to often fatalistic,cynical attitudes as well as a measure of individualism and self-reliance being commonplace. Outsiders are normally seen as either naive, arrogant, or loud-mouthed in a land where beasts’ sense of hearing could lead to one’s downfall if outside the village.
-Mannerisms-
To an outsider A Varkovnian is often one that comes off as rude, blunt and straight to the point when met with flowery words or flattery due to inherent cynicism and mistrust of outsiders even those from different villages or regions. Black humor is common as are insults toward outsiders who are usually seen as naive or arrogant in a local’s eyes.
-Value-
Varkovnians value survival of their family above all as well as their traditions, faith, and proud history. They respect honesty, being straight-forward, and brevity.
-View of Good and Evil-

-Superstition-

-View of Outsiders-

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-=Government=-

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=Overview=
Varkovnia is largely ruled by a semi-feudal despot centered around the suveran Princezna (Princess) Velinka Czermak with her seat at Castle Valasek above the most populous city Volchya. However, its influence is limited to large towns and its influence is steadily growing as Czermak increases her grasp through the use of mercenaries. A section of Varkovnia is controlled by the Council of Kynza (Princes), a republican-based authority in southern Varkovnia aiming to restore a more democratic version of the Republic of Vozinya.
=Head of State=
Suveran- The Princezna Velinka Czermak. An Anqualan elf who rules over a Varkovnian human populace with the help of an army of mercenaries and her personal guard known as the Velitzsky Rytirs. The Rytirs often lead mercenaries and militia to assert control for the suveran.

-Rule of succession/election-
As things stand Princezna Velinka is unmarried and has no heir, yet proclaims herself as a monarch. It is known that some of the Rytirs are related to her, but line of succession is unclear with some wondering if she will marry a foreign prince to secure the line of succession.
=Main Government=

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The governing body is known as the Valasek Court. The Velitzsky Rytirs are the primary enforcers of the realm and act as a personal bodyguard and as military leaders of the Principality. The Valasek Court’s functionaries are unknown to the general public due to the reclusive nature of the castle and its government to the common people who largely see mercenaries, Rytirs, and locally appointed burgomeisters running day-to-day affairs in major towns such as Volchya.
-Ranks/Positions-
Suveran (Sovereign) - Liege lord of Varkovnia
Rytir (Knight) - Chivalry and knighthood is not a concept in Varkovnia, yet, the same role is filled by appointed warriors loyal to the Suveran to be an enforcer of her will in the role of commander of militias, temporary governors of towns, or fortifications.
Burgomeister - Appointed civil leaders chosen directly by the Suveran or appointed by people in areas not directly controlled by the monarch.
-Division of Governorship-

=Civilian or Auxiliary Government=

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The Burgomeisters of towns and villages are the local ruling authorities across Varkovnia. They are mix of those loyal to Czermak, quasi-independent mayors chosen by elders, and those seeking to restore a republic in Varkovnia.

=Laws=

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Varkovnian laws are based on old Vozinyan laws to ensure public order across the land. Laws found are typical of most states with crimes against theft, murder, and other anti-social acts punished by militia and burgomeisters’ enforcers.
-Justice System-
The Varkovnian justice belongs to Princezna Velinka Czermak ultimately, but is usually carried out by her Rytirs, Burgomeisters, or local lords of old nobility that remain. Independent judges are unheard of and legal experts are normally serving the interests of their benefactors.
-Magic Laws-
Varkovnia has laws dictating that magic users are to be brought before Castle Valasek to be handled by the Rytirs of Princezna Velinka. Magic-users are taken from their homes likely in service of their suzeran in some form or manner. Those who resist are normally outcasts or remain secretive of their abilities.

=Rights=

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Varkovnians have basic rights to be freepersons across most of the land with the exception of those who have the misfortune of being born on the land of the old boyarski and nobility. They still live in serfdom as Vozinya once held across the land.
-Rights and Responsibilities of Common Folk-
The common people are allowed freedom of movement and ability to conduct their affairs according to the laws and traditions of Varkovnia. They are to be deferential to authority figures which lie in the form of the Rytirs or the Burgomeisters and their appointed subordinates.
-Rights and Responsibilities of Nobility/Rich-
The nobility has the rights to maintain their old estates and lands as well as maintain their own serfs, however, each town is a free city officially with some nobles or wealthy attempting to dominate via wealth or influence.
-Rights and Responsibilities of Foreigners and Immigrants-
Foreigners are given roughly the same rights as common folk, but are likely to be treated far more poorly when crossing the law or accused of crimes as foreigners are distrusted generally.
-Ownership of property-
Free people can purchase and own property which includes most Varkovnian people with foreigners on occasion allowed to purchase buildings in townships.
-Gender Rights-
Historically Varkovnia was patriarchal, however, laws are officially gender neutral though practice of this varies depending on where one is in Varkovnia.

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-=Military=-

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=Velitzsky Rytirs=

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The Rytirs are the primarily military force of Varkovnia and serve directly under the command of Princezna Velinka Czermak. They are considered her personal guard, police, and primary military forces of her regime.
-Recruitment and training-
Rytirs’ training and selection is rather unknown to the population at large. They seem to derive mainly from Anqualan elves, but it seems at least some members are human. Their training involves swordplay, archery, horsemanship, and have the competency of knights from other realms although it is clear they are not nobility and are simply professional warriors at the service of their liege.
-Payment-
Their payment is unknown as they are quite secretive in many respects.
-Garrison and Mobilization-
They are based in Castle Valasek where they handle security.

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=Varkovnian Militsiya=

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-Recruitment and training-
Drawn from the peasantry most members of the militsiya (or militia) join to defend their villages and towns and to patrol the few roads that is safe to do so in their localities. They vary greatly in training with the better ones being comparable to a town watch and the worst ones being simply a peasant given a spear, shield, and helm and expected to look busy.
-Payment-
Their pay is usually low and minimal. They are fed, clothed, and sometimes housed if they are in a sizeable town with a barracks or otherwise live in their family’s home whether or not they are part-time militia or not.
-Units-

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There is only one well known unit of militia among them that stand up above the rest. They are the Varkovnian Streltsy or Rangers. They are among the largest source of recruitment for the famous monster hunters the Hruzaski. Commonly these rangers encounter smaller monsters and have to use guile, cunning, and cleverness to defeat their stronger adversaries. They have numerous tools and make use of alchemy and quietly utilize minor relics and artifacts that use magic despite social taboo. There is an air of mystery around these brave or foolish ones that are among the most capable humans to be found in these lands.
=Boyarski Pazniski=

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-Recruitment and training-
Either noble born or trained soldiers that are loyal to the old boyar nobility that remain in the land. They are among the most well-equipped and trained men to be found in Varkovnia and serve as the largest source of heavy infantry in the land.
-Payment-
They are paid very handsomely and are known to be retainers of nobility or even minor nobles themselves that ambitiously seek advancement.

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-=Important Families=-

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-House Czermak-
Current Leader: Velinka Czermak
Values: Power and control.

-House Varkov-
Current Leader: Rajko Varkov
Values: | Glory and Warfare.

-House Istrati-
Current Leader: Milovan Istrati
Values: Tradition and Honor

-House Romansk-
Current Leader: GrozDan Romansk
Values: | Wealth and Commerce

-House Prohaszka-
Current Leader: Iva Prohaszka
Values: Monster-slaying and Selfless Heroism

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-=Religion=-

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=Overview=
Varkovnian Paganism or Staraviti is the collection of belief systems, stories, myths, deities, spirits, and entities across the region of Vozinya. In the past there have been attempts to unify the faith into a cohesive tradition run by priests known as Zsators. Each deity represents an aspect of life, death, and primordial forces of nature. The faith can be described as druidic with influences from elven communities.

=Core Beliefs=

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The origin story of the world in that a great void existed until the chaos of nonexistence formed reality. It was here the gods were made, representing aspects of life known today such as life, death, joy, fear, forests, mountains, war, and peace, men, and monsters. The gods fought to become the greatest, but none among them could gain dominance. A new order was created where instead of fighting each other in fruitless battle mortals were created where they would contest for the souls of mortals to venerate them and therefore creating the numerous cults of gods known today.

Mortals believe they must appease multiple gods to compete for their favor and earn safety from the enmity of the gods spurned. This has led to the belief that gods are loosely in alliance with one another in the conquest of mortals souls in order to prepare armies of the faithful in battle with the darkness that will end the world in the form of the destroyer of the world; or D’abelsky the Destroyer. D’abelsky will lead to the end of reality to be reformed under his ruthless control. It is believed that demons and monsters are created by this malevolent and therefore grant him power through their worship in him and it is the duty of mortals to oppose him through prayer to the gods and heroic or just deeds in their mortal lives so that they may then champion the gods in the afterlife for the battle to save the world and the afterlife from the void of destruction.

=Deities=

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-Tihomil-
Justice, Honor
-Dobrota-
Goodness, Selflessness, Luck
-Svaroh-
Mysticism, Secrets
-Divocina-
Life, Birth
-Mozha-
Death, Funerary
-Zycien-
The Wild, savagery
-Dazboh-
Civilization, Industry
-Placeholder-
Description Here

=Devils=

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-D’abelsky-
Archfiend, Destroyer of creation
-Pohjici-
The Devourer, Mother of Monsters
-Dejna-
Witchcraft, Misfortune

=Afterlife=

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It is believed the afterlife is a place of plenty, comfort, and a place to prepare for the end of reality against D’abelsky and his minions when the world and the afterlife will be tested to defeat devils and demons in the end.

=Holy Text=

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-Doctrines-
There is no unified holy text, but numerous books speak of the numerous traditions that tie together the culture and beliefs of numerous deities that fit in the pantheon of Varkovnia.
-Views-
Infidels and Heathens- Faithless people who either do not care for the end or serve the devil himself.
Witches- People lured by dark power, although some might argue this power could be used for good.
Atheists- Fools to be disregarded.
Heretics and Excommunicates- Misguided souls.
Homosexuals and Adulterers?- Pleasure-seekers that are sinful and do not help the survival of the people.
Magic- A dangerous tool that has mostly been used for evil other than those used by legendary heroes or monster hunters.

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-=Territory=-

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Picture Here
=Land=
Picture Here

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=Fauna=
The animal life of Varkovnia reflects that of dense, temperature to pine forests with common predators including bears, wolves, snow leopards, eagles, and worgs. Common monsters include griffins, wyverns, cockatrices, basilisks, and, occasionally, barghests and werewolves. The most common threat faced by people are worgs or larger wolves that have an uncanny intellect with the supposed ability to speak if they so chose, mimicking the voices of people.
=Flora=
Plantlife is typical of that found in temperate forests, moorlands, and pine forests with conifers, shrubs, variety of grasses, and the occasional toxic plants that cause rashes. Most notably are white tulips that are a national symbol and sought after by the wealthy.
=Resources=
Common: Wheat, Furs, Potatoes, Meat, Plums, Dairy, Lumber, amate(for parchment), alchemical reagents (Drakefire), Stone, Marble, Ceramics, Beer, Vodka, Spirits, Chickens, Cattle, Hogs, cats
Uncommon: Iron, Lead, Copper, Leather, Wool, Herbs, Grapes, Wine, elixirs/potions, donkeys, horses, sugar, honey
Rare: Mithril, Gold, Ironwood, Scurnze, Tobacco, ivory, opium
=Landmarks=
Castle Valasek, in the northeast of Varkovnia is the impressive fortification created during the Muha era known to be impenetrable and stands above the City of Volchya.
=Cities=

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-Volchya-
Ruler: Princezna Velinka Czermak
Founded: 1st Era

-Sarnogorsk-
Ruler: Dmitry Sorsk
Founded: 1st Era
-Tairnpol-
Ruler: Fyodor Rybar
Founded: 1st Era
-Craszia-
Ruler: Drazenko Kulak
Founded: 1st Era
-City-
Ruler: Under Mertvi Zhyvi
Founded: 1st Era
-City-
Ruler: Under Mertvi Zhyvi
Founded: 1st Era
-City-
Ruler: under Zemnalkov Republic
Founded: 1st Era

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-=Magic and Education=-

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=Magic=
Magic is an uncommon practice in Varkovnia today, however, hundreds of magical artifacts and relics have been left behind across former Vozinya waiting to be found, likely to be deadly to those who find them. Enchantment and transmutation magics were the most common type of magic to be discovered with necromancy being uncommon until the rise of the regime known as Mertvi Zhyvi.
=Education=
Vozinya was once a center of education with a university in Tairnopol until the sacking of the city in 655 with only the few burghers with resources and traders coming into contact with books and education that few of the poorer classes can afford. The nobility have libraries in their estates but they are privileged and largely depict the history and traditions of their own families.
=Sciences=
Alchemy and herbalism are parts the most well-known sciences practiced in Varkovnia leading to the creation of poultices, potions, varnishes, and tools that are known among witches, healers, and monster hunters across the land. Simple medicinal herbs are commonly used to cure illness.
=Institutions=

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The Hruzaski Monster Hunters guild are the most well-known institution across the land which formed after the Great Hunt called by Prince Pavel Varkov centuries ago. They are based in the city of Sarnogorsk which is largely in ruins other than their own guildhall and some nearby establishments. Monsters are rampant in their own city as well as much of Varkovnia, leading many to idealize them as heroes and the older folk see them as fools running toward their deaths.

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-=Foreign Relations=-

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=Military Alliances=
N/A
=Specific Agreements=
Mertvi Zhyvi - A deal between Princezna Czermak and the Mertvi Zhyvi regime on selling corpses in exchange for unknown materials and resources provided to Castle Valasek
Republic of Zemnalkov - Trade Deal between nations to permit merchants and movement between realms in exchange for mutual recognition of sovereignty over respective claims. Allowance of mercenaries to be hired from Zemnalkov by Princezna Czermak.
=Good Terms=
N/A
=Bad Terms=
N/A

-=Trade and Economics=-

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=Industry=

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-Agriculture-
Agriculture includes small farms dotted along the clearings of woods and copses across.
-Domestication and Herding-
Sheep and goats are herded and domesticated alongside Varkovnian Wolfhounds for domestic use by herders and hunters.
-Hunting-
Hunting of wildlife and monsters lead to the sale of meat and furs important for exports.
-Harvesting-
The harvest of wheat and potatoes are among the most important produce taken from farmlands in the land.
-Production-
Weapons, Armor, and masonry are among the most important products made through metallurgy.
=Guild and Company Rights=
Local guilds are given rights to move products and materials throughout Varkovnia, but must obtain permission from burgoemisters or appointed Rytirs to move trade to other realms. Current nations with permission to move freely in Varkovnia include:
Zemnalkov Republic

=Trade=

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=Main Export=
Furs, lumber, meat, amate, wine, ivory, honey, opium
-Specialized Resources-
Ironwood, scurnze, alchemical potions/elixirs
=Main Import=
Mercenaries, steel, silver, spices, silks, incense.
=Trade Laws=
Merchants pay a tax in the cities they do business in and foreign merchants cannot do business outside of the city their people are permitted by the Princezna or her appointed burgomeisters

-=Currency=-

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Varkovnian Mark (Gold, silver, copper)

-=Infrastructure=-

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Poor outside of Volchya and northeastern Varkovnia

=Mercenaries=

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Mercenaries include humans, elves, gnomes, hobgoblins, and Okke folk.

-=Factions=-

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=Political Factions=
House Czermak - Loyalists and supporters of Velinka Czermak the current suzeran and Princezna of Varkovnia.
Republic of Vozinya - Supporters of the old Republic, albeit with more democratic aims based on town councils rather than an aristocratic force.

=Military Factions=
Velitzky Rytirs - Military arm of Velinka Czermak’s regime
=Magic/Science Factions=
Witches of Tairnopol - A collection of magic-users based in the tolerant city of Tairnopol in the far south.
=Religious Factions=
High Szators of Varkovnia - Council of druids and Szators that promote the faith of Varkovnian paganism. Based in the wild of western Varkovnia
=Outlaw Factions=
Brodszky Highwaymen - A formidable collection of bandits based in the southern moors of Varkovnia
=Monster Factions=
Cernavar (‘Blackclaw’) - A formidable pack of intelligent worgs that terrorize northeastern Varkovnia, yet it seems little is down to keep them at bay other than the Druzaski or militia on the roads. Some villages provide sacrifices to keep the beasts at bay the mad even worship them as gods.

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-=Notable Characters=-

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Velinka Czermak

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Birthdate- 751
Race- Apparent: Anqualan/Wood Elf (True:Greater Barghest)
Sex- Female
Occupation- Suzeran of Varkovnia
Background-
A monster of the land with demonic qualities. The barghest grew stronger from each kill as it absorbed the power of her victims. Maltzurrak, as she is known among her kind, ferociously hunted down worthy human heroes of Varkovnia. As the hero Jaromir was fighting the beasts of the land, Maltzurrak managed to pounce on Jaromir and devour him on the battlefield. Unbeknownst to the beast, Jaromir was bonded with an angel. The magical essence of the hero’s body caused a transformation in the monster to ascend in mental capacity alongside stealing all the memories of the fallen hero as well as an extended lifespan. With the knowledge and magical power gained, the beast decided upon a sinister deception to more easily consume her preferred prey in bold, powerful heroes of the land. She took Castle Valasek and Volchya alongside a collection of monsters and humans she managed to rally and began to rule as the elf known as Velinka Czermak to rule over the humans as an unpopular suzeran and to easily call to adventurers and would-be heroes to her court in order to set them to near-suicidal tasks on her behalf. The greatest of whom would be richly ‘rewarded’ and given an estate. Only, none chosen were given an estate or wealth but instead became gruesome victims to the tyrannical, monstrous ruler of Varkovnia.

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[Goldeagle1221]

@goldeagle1221

You are on the right path, but I would expand just a bit more on the government? It sounds more like a loose collection of tribes then a nation? Also be sure to have a characters tab, a tab for named characters who will likely appear or are named in your NS.

@Slagar

Half right, it's not a nation for sure -- but a smattering of collectives, communes and commonwealths that come in the form of familial farms, intrafamilial hamlets/villages, and mayoral towns and cities. They are all linked by a common culture and geographical region; that's the humans. The Goblins similarly have no single nation but are separated in tribes that share a common culture, religion and region.

[Nerevarine]

WIP, but want to get something out so I can start collabing

Kingdom of the Perkones

=-=General Information=-=
Capital: None
Demonym: Perkoni
Language: Perkoni language
Religion: Perkonic Paganism

Government: Tribal coalition under a High King
Population: 3,500,000

Races

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The Perkoni (Elflike Beastfolk)

The Perkones are a species that has unclear origins. It is assumed that they are native to the mountains of their homeland, and are proposed as a more primitive sister species to elves, with more animalistic traits in the form of their catlike ears, sharp teeth, strictly carnivorous diet, and retention of tails.

The Westmen (Human)

After the conquest of Westfield by the Ruhsoi, the humans who remained in Perkoni controlled territory, called Irġiel tal-Punent in their own language, coalesed into clan units occupying an unclear position within the Ruhsoi tribe. Existing within Perkoni society, these humans adopted aspects of the Ruhsoi culture, mixed into their Lounattar heritage. Like the Perkoni, they are cannibalistic and participate in sentient sacrifices, and retain elements of Lounattar culture, though they would no longer be recognizable to the modern people of El'Akim.

As Humans and Perkoni are incapable of producing offspring together, Ruhsoi and Westmen were incapable of creating lasting tribal alliances, and the two groups were never able to fully integrate, which was used as leverage by Blaisa in the conquest of the Ruhsoi, offering the Westmen proper tribe status should they ally with her. In her victory, the Westmen now occupy a unique position as a human tribe within the Perkoni political structure.

Forchite Elves

Forchite Elves were the original inhabitants of the Great Fork, settling the area between the two rivers in the time of Muha, divinding into agricultural city states. The cities were conquered by the Perkoni. As Perkoni and Elves are able to produce fertile offspring, the Forchite Elves were incorporated into the Perkoni tribal structure, and now constitute distinct clans within several major tribes.

The assimilation of the Forchites has been near total, with their only defining cultural traits being their preference for artisan work and the small numbers of speakers of the Fork Elvish language.

History

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Pre and Proto-History
Felinoid humanoids are not unheard of, but the exact origins of the Perkoni, or populations ancestral to them is entirely unclear. Tales from eastern cultures seem to make reference to cannibalistic peoples inhabiting eastern mountain ranges. At some point, these peoples were expelled, and no further references to them appear. Later historical documents make reference to a group of felinoid beastmen, assumed to either be the Perkoni themselves, or populations that were ancestral to them, arriving from the east. These people settled in the area between the x and y rivers, quickly overrunning and forcing pre-existing populations to either flee or be eradicated. These lands became infamous as the origin of raiders and pirates navigating the rivers. The first documented reports of the Cannabis plant being present in the west appear at this time as well.


_{The dreaded Proto-Perkoni, the beastmen who migrated from the mountains.}

At this early period, the Perkoni do not produce any documents detailing their own history, being seemingly illiterate at this time. Rather, all proto-history about them is told through the eyes of their neighbors, who paint a picture of a purely savage people living at the periphery of civilization.

Early History
The first 600 years of Perkonic history are extremely vague. The earliest written documents are in an alphabetic system seemingly created from scratch, though only used for either King lists dating back to around 2A 100, or for documenting livestock and slaves. Written prayers to the spirits are found buried under trees, written on hemp paper.

Shortly after their arrival, according to oral traditions, the Perkoni split into 3 major clans, the Feletsi, the Bofes, and the Ruhsoi. The Feletsi largely settled in the forklands proper, integrating with the Elves to the greatest extent, while the Bofes and Ruhsoi moved east. The Bofes split, with a smaller clan, the Siluri, adopting a more agricultural lifestyle, remaining by the Floodplains, while the pastoral Bofes continued to the pastures eastward. Offshoots of the Feletsi and Siluri would coalesce on the other side of the territory, along the southern river floodplains, joining into the Finnoi, while the Ruhsoi would continue the most eastward of all the tribes.

At this time, the Ruhsoi were under the leadership of a powerful king named Malgos, who had, through a great cattle raid, which was put to paper as an epic poem later, in which the Ruhsoi stole the cattle of all 5 of the other tribes, Malgos came across the pastures of the land known as the Westfield. Westfield was under the control of El'Akim. Malgos, inspired by the success of his cattle raid, crossed the border to begin raiding and settling in Westfield. The Mass migration of the Perkoni earned resistance from the Lounattar, eventually forcing the King of El'Akim, Joshua, to meet Malgos in battle at Stony Brook, where the Ruhsoi crushed their enemy. Legend says that Malgos himself dealt the fatal blow to Joshua, ripping his enchanted sword from his hand, but the Spirits, infuriated with Malgos' hubris, denied him the chance to slay his enemy and consume his liver, with the King escaping from Malgos, but dying from his wounds later, and Malgos being bitten by a mosquito in the heat of battle, infecting him with a fever that would too kill him shortly after his return home.

Malgos left behind 5 sons, however, only 2 are known to have lived. The first was his eldest son, Cassius, who had his younger brothers killed to secure his place as Malgos' sucessor. The Second was his 3rd son, Calatos, who fled upon discovering his brother's plan to have him killed after slaying an attempted assassin, but managed to steal the Enchanted sword of their father before his escape. Calatos found asylum among the Feletsi, where the King tasked him with slaying a horror, which he managed to do with his sword. The sword was then offered by Calatos to the king in exchange for marriage to his daughter, which was granted, and Calatos was made a chief for his actions.

Around 2A 350, proto-history as told by oral traditions end, and the king lists began to evolve into written histories tracing back the lineage of kings and how they fit into the Tribal History. These poems, part history, part genealogy, are littered with mythology and thus serve little to give an accurate picture of the Perkoni, but give insight into their view of the world and their place within it. The poems do confirm that nearly all Perkonic tribes believe in a mass migration to their current homeland from the east, in line with the earliest references to them.

The Great Servile War and the end of Ruhsoi Hegemony

_{Dumnovalos, leader of the Slave Rebellion, and an example of the Meso-Perkoni of the mid-second era, showing the appearance of strong elven features and the adoption of elven styles of dress.}
By the time of the mid-second era, the Perkoni were extensively intermixed with elves due to the extensive practice of keeping elves as sex slaves and concubines, to the point that much of their beastly features such as fur and more catlike facial features gave way to elf-like faces. These so-called "Meso-Perkoni" quickly became the dominant species in the lands controlled by the tribes, with the elves being reduced to a minority, relegated to a few clans. So too did the Perkoni begin to adopt more elven behaviors, with a transition from pastoralism to agriculturalism being widespread even in the lands of traditionally nomadic tribes such as the Ruhsoi and Bofes. The production of wine and mead became a major industry for the Perkoni at this time, and the Perkoni began to exchange their "barbarian" clothing of pants and tunics for "civilized" elven gowns and kimonos. The Forchite language, taught to kings and shamans by elven slave tutors, became a second tongue for educated Perkones. At the same time, the Lounattar population of the Westfield, through influence of the Meso-Perkoni and intermarriage with elves, began to adopt elements of Perkoni and Forchite culture, diverging from their brethren in El'Akim into a new culture, the horsemen known as the Westmen.

Though the Ruhsoi had established themselves as dominant over the other Perkoni tribes for much of their history, the raw power of the Ruhsoi began to decline with the death of Malgos and the ascension of his son Cassius, who proved to lack the power to keep absolute Ruhsoi dominance, with the Feletsi and Finnoi breaking from the hegemony in the White War, where Cassius was paralyzed after receiving a broken neck. Cassius died two years later, with his nephew Gaisos taking over. Gaisos, seeking retribution, had the Ruhsoi carry out a massive slave raid on the Finnoi, taking back 200 slaves, among them, a young boy named Dumnovalos and his mother. Gaisos would reign for 10 years before he was killed by his sister, Slania, who was deposed by a betrayal by her royal guardsman, Virigusus, who had Slania sold into slavery, where she encountered Dumnovalos and the other slaves of a farmer. Slania, seeking a chance to restore her throne, promised Dumnovalos and his fellow slaves freedom should they help her take back her throne. Dumnovalos, who had lost his mother not long ago due to the cruelty of his master, agreed, and organized a slave revolt with Slania. After seizing their master's farm and killing him, the revolting slaves marched across the territory of the Ruhsoi, stealing horses, burning farms and massacring cattle en mass. Before eventually meeting with the usurper king and killing him, however, as Slania was killed in the war, the Ruhsoi were sent into a succession crisis without any surviving members of the Cassid dynasty. Seeing that their amnesty was lost with Slania's death, the slaves fled, taking their seized cattle and horses with them, and leaving the lands of the Ruhsoi in chaos, breaking their long established hegemony.

The current tribal confederation is lead by the unifier herself, Blaisa, who has placed her tribe, the Feletsi, and her clan, the Pentiloi, at the forefront of the confederation, and begun negotiations with external groups to secure the future of the Perkoni in the face of a changing world.

Culture

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The Perkones live in small mobile settlements, centered around round houses created with thatched roofs. Tribes usually have two settlements, one higher in the mountains, and another lower, that they move to as the herds of sheep migrate. Their entire culture is centered around the herding of sheep and goats, which they lead between seasonal locations for grazing. The Perkones make their clothing from wool and goatskin, eat a diet consisting mostly of goat and sheep meat, and engage in ritualized sheep theft.

Childhood and Growing Up
Perkoni usually have 1-3 children per pregnancy. When a child is born, the father must ritually accept the children, and any that are not accepted are buried to kill them. Children are inspected for any defects or illnesses, or to see if they look too sickly. Girls are favored over boys, as the allowance of a woman to have plural marriages allows for more potential family alliances. Children are not given names for the first few years of their lives, as it is assumed that they have not yet gained the favor of the protective spirits with sacrifices, and thus are susceptible to being targeted by evil spirit attracted to their name. As they have no spiritual protection, it is assumed children are more likely to become ill and die.

When the child is first able to swallow solid food, they are considered to have moved beyond babies and are now "children". The occasion is marked with the sacrifice of a slave, and the child is fed their first cannibalistic meal, which gains them the protection of the spirits by having partaken in the sacrifice. Children are also given a coin with which to symbolically "pay" for the slave.

After this, Children are given a special amulet, made from a carved bone from the slave, to wear to show their status as a legal child, and that they have participated in a sacrifice to other spirits.

Most children live fairly similar lives until they reach the age of 15, in which one of four paths will open up depending on their social class.

Marriage
Among the laborer caste, 15 is the age of marriage. Marriages are typically arranged by the parents of the couple, and mostly for utilitarian reasons. As the Perkoni are matrilocal, men move into their wife's residence. This is the most important ceremony for those in the laborer caste, and from this point on they will mostly spend their time farming or crafting.

Military Stratification
Children of the Warrior caste have the most divergent of childhoods, being separated from their families to live in castra by the age of 5, where they undergo military training. By 15, they are separated into specialized schools depending on their status as "commoner" or noble. This continues on for another 10 years until they are ready to get married and resettle on either their father or wife's lands once again, until needed for war.

Religious Education
Children of the Shaman caste have lessons in writing and grammar of the Perkoni and Forchite languages, to prepare them for scribal work, and to get them familiar with the structure of the languages of the holy texts and songs. At 15, they are sequestered off into monasteries, where they are educated full time by an elder shaman who teaches them the proper rituals, songs, prayers, and such religious subjects. After 15 years, they are ready to get married and to find work among the communities of the Perkoni clans as spiritual leaders or as scribes to kings and nobles.

Political Education
At 15, children of the kings and chiefs are typically given an education to prepare them for their future leadership roles. This education is far from standardized and at the discretion of the parents.

At 20, all Perkoni are considered adults and are able to be held accountable for their following or breaking the Nafas law.

Clothing:

A Teenage Perkoi Girl showing typical women's clothing


A Young Perkoni man showing typical men's clothing

Clothing of the Perkones is typically made from their three main sources of cloth: hemp, sheep's wool, and cow leather. Hemp is the cheapest source, being widely available to even the poorest farmer. The cloth is considered useful, but common. Wool is second in prestige, being a common cloth, but reserved to garments such as cloaks or to blankets. Leather is the finest of the common materials. One who can afford a leather shirt would belong to the upper echelons of the tribe.

The finest of all materials is the skin of certain sapient races. The skin of humans and other Perkones is considered precious and usually used for decorative purposes such as gloves, curtains, or bookbinding. The skin of elves is considered the most precious of all, and only tribal chieftains are permitted to wear garments, such as gloves or arrow quivers, made from elven skin.

The Perkones are known for their love of vibrant colors, which they obtain through local plants and insects. The color red is the most common, created from the crushed shells of a type of beetle. Men and women alike wear tunics, reaching down midway past the knee.

Women typically wear a woolen shawl that they wrap around their bodies and over their heads in the winter, while men tend to don hooded cloaks made of wool. Perkones generally do not wear pants save for in the winter. Women wear a traditional turban, wrapped around their head except for their ears.

Shoes are made from leather, either leather from cattle, or Orcskin for the upper class. They are highly decorated, and often contain tribal markers.

Language:
One of the savages introduced me to their local word for wine, 'finom', and for red, "russom" while attempting to trade.
The Perkonic language is a fusional, highly inflected language. It has been described by outsiders as "beautiful" and "musical", despite the barbaric reputation of its speakers.

Cannabis Cultivation
Aside from the bulbous root, the savages are fond of another peculiar plant. It is a shrub, covered in jagged leaves. They collect the leaves and seeds for food, the later producing oil for cooking. Of particular note is their harvesting of the flowers, which they burn for its intoxicating effects.

Cannabis, known to the Perkoni as the Mother of the Mountains, was introduced to the west by the Perkoni shortly after their migration, and they have been cultivating it alongside the potato for all of their recorded history. It bears great cultural significance to them, and figures into much of their imagery alongside the Oak leaf. The plant is used for food, cloth, and paper, but of note to most outsiders is its use as an intoxicant. The flowers produce an intoxicating effect when burned, and as such, trade agreements to import these flowers have developed with the Perkoni, who willingly agree.

_{Perkoni smoking pipe}

Metallurgy traditions

Perkoni metalworking is characterized by inlaying, usually into Gold or Copper.

Social Structure
There does not appear to be significant differences in the lives of the men or women among the Perkones, all seem to live free lives, engaging in all the depravities of savage folk.
Stratification among the Perkones is based on inherent caste, with little in the way of gendered differences. Men and women have more or less the same freedoms, however, a herdsman, a warrior, and a shaman vary widely in their privileges.

Sexuality, Relationships, and Marriage
As Nafas concerns itself with sexual behaviors rather than sexual orientation, there is no cultural hostility towards same-sex behavior or relationships in Perkoni society. Rather, it is seen as a non-issue in most cases. The Perkoni place no value in chastity and virginity, and in general allow for a free expression of sexuality provided it does not transgress bounds set by nafas.
The Perkoni practice polyandrous marriage, a curious trait that developed in their prehistory. Women are permitted multiple husbands and are in fact encouraged to take multiple husbands according to Nafas. However, men may not take multiple wives, nor may those in same sex partnerships take multiple spouses as the Perkoni view these relationships as 'unproductive'. Members of the royal caste are expected to take a spouse with which they can produce an heir, regardless of their preferences.

Slavery
The lust for slaves seems unquenchable for the savages. They conduct nearly weekly slave raids, seemingly never satisfied, always spiriting away more victims.
Slavery is a very real institution among the Perkones, who routinely carry out slave raids against other tribes as well as neighboring nations. Slaves serve a variety of purposes. The most common of these is their use as farmhands. Slaves are used for maintaining cannabis crops, while the more respected maintenance of the livestock is handled by the farmer themselves. Slaves are not permitted to consume the flesh of high livestock such as cattle or goats and are fed a mixture of cannabis leaves (colloquially known as Perkoni Spinach), and meat from pigeons. Slaves have no rights, and are considered to be a form of livestock.

Slavery is, to the surprise of many, not a hereditary status, but a personal one. The children of slaves are not considered slaves, but freeborn members of the tribe. Children of slaves become the immediate inheritor of their parent after the death of the current owner, superseding even the immediate family of the owner. The child of a slave also has the right to intercede upon the decisions of a slaveowner, such as forbidding a slaveowner to kill their parent, with the right to kill a slaveowner who disobeys the demand. The right of tribal membership extends to non-Perkoni who are born in the tribal lands, and as such, a small number of non-Perkoni tribals exist.

Food

The staple food of the Perkoni is the potato, which they brought with them from the east. Along with potatoes, the Perkoni brought the cannabis plant, which they cultivate for the seeds, either eaten as they are, ground into powder, or used for making oil, or the leaves, which are colloquially known as 'Perkoni Spinach', either cooking them or using them to brew teas. Millet is cultivated for flour, which is used to create bread.

As a people who are dependant upon their domesticated animals, the Perkoni diet is filled with dairy products, with goat and cow cheeses coming in a variety of preparations. Milk is extremely common as a drink. Meat is common, but mostly being that from the domesticated pigeon. Flesh from hunted beasts, such as sand rats and wolfmen is commonly eaten as well, as are slaves and war captives in cannibalistic feasts.

Perkones cannot consume large quantities of sugar without becoming ill, and such have a long tradition of fermentation, being avid consumers of wine, mead, cider, and even some dairy-based alcoholic drinks.

Cannibalism

_{Ritual utensils used for cannibalistic feasts}

The most infamous practice of the Perkoni to outsiders is that of cannibalism.

The Perkoni practice both cannibalism sensu stricto (eating members of their own species), and cannibalism sensu lato (eating members of any sapient, intelligent species). The tradition of cannibalism has a long history, seemingly predating the Perkoni themselves and originating in their ancestors. Cannibalism probably originated as a method of supplementing meat in their mountain diet but has since evolved into a cultural custom, and a revealed part of their heritage. The Perkoni believe that eating a being with a soul will increase the power of their own soul, and thus give them greater power in the afterlife while weakening the soul of their victim. It is believed by the Perkoni that those who are eaten will serve as slaves, or otherwise be subservient to the one who has consumed them, and thus cannibalistic meals are often tribal feasts.

The source of those who are killed and eaten is from war captives and slaves. To kill and eat a free person is considered murder.

Cannibalism is highly ritualized, specialized utensils, meal etiquette, and culinary terms have been developed for the consumption of sapient species. It is considered greatly taboo to eat the brain of a sapient being. It is believed that eating the brain of an intelligent lifeform will give the knowledge that the being acquired in their life, and the spirits will punish this transgression to the limits of mortal knowledge by stealing away their mind with madness and death.

Military

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The military of the Perkoni can be divided into three elements, that of the Epostres, the Milites, and the Levies. The first two elements, the Epostres and the Milites are drafted from the warrior caste of Perkonic society.

The Warrior Caste
The class system of the Perkoni is divided into 4 elements: The Kings, the Shamans, the Warriors, and the Laborers. The Warriors make up the landowning class of the Perkoni society, holding onto inhereted plots of land called pagini, which are distributed to families belonging to the laborer caste, who work the land and pay tribute to the warrior clan who own the land that they work.

The warrior caste involves a harsh education system where children belonging to the caste are separated from their parents at 5 years old to spend the next 20 years being trained in specialized regimens to become elite warriors of the Perkoni tribes. The first 5 years play out the same for members of the noble and common warrior caste, however, by the time that the children reach the age of 10 they are transferred to the specialized schools, the 'scola epostris' for the children of the nobility, and the 'scola militaris' for the children of the common caste.

The Epostres

Before their explusion from the eastern mountains, the Perkoni had domesticated the horse and the camel for use as beasts of burden and means of travel, in the mountain valleys that they inhabited. After their explusion, the forced migration into the grasslands of the west necessitated a transition away from a pastoral life into that of more agricultural one. However, the horse and camel remained as status symbols among the nobility, and quickly the two animals became the defining features of the military nobles.

According to Nafas law, only the nobility are permitted to ride a camel, and only the military nobles may ride a horse into battle. The result has been that the military nobles quickly evolved into a form of hereditary cavalry that operates as the most elite of Perkoni soldiers.

The Epostres, being of wealthy extraction, are able to afford the best weapons and armor available to the Perkoni, and are heavily armored, with steel polearms being their signature weapon. They are a formidable force, even if they make up the smallest portion of the military.

The Milites

The Milites are the lower class of the military caste, comprising of those soldiers trained to be foot soldiers. The milites function as infantry, archers, and any other function necessary, the Milites make up about 2/5 of the army. The milites, like all soldiers, are expected to provide their own weapons and armor, and being of the middle class, they typically are able to provide all necessary equipment at decent quality.

The Levies
Levies are the members of the laborer caste who are called to arms by their landholders. Being farmers, artisans, and generally not soldiers, they usually have little experience and are simply called in to fill the ranks.

Government

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How the government works and who is in charge of what, basically an explanation of how the nation runs itself and who is in charge of what province or who is responsible of what task. No government needs to be perfect, and it can be as cruel or incompetent as it needs to be for your story.

Religion

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These savage people are prone to all sorts of atrocities, none the least of which their flagrant barbarity in the slaughter of not only human, elf, or orc captives to their vile gods, but their own kind as well.

They seem to worship trees, which they make use of for their hideous rituals. When they come across an oak tree, they wall the plant in, threatening all who do not take proper precautions with death should they violate the sacred ground.

The religion of the Perkones revolves around the veneration of natural spirits. The Perkones do not have gods, in the usual sense of the word. Instead, they seem to believe that the natural forces of the world contain some kind of inherent sentience and that they must gain the favor of these forces in order for their tribe to be successful. The most common form of gaining favor with these spirits is sacrifice in their honor. The Perkones consider the act of giving up one's desire for the benefit of another to be a great act, and this lends itself into their practice of giving up personal belongings to the spirits for favor. This can be items of great material value, or food. A common sacrifice is for a tribe to slaughter and then bury a number of their sheep as a gift to the spirits. Most infamous of all, however, is the readiness to participate in the sacrifice of sapient slaves, war captives, or members of their tribes to the spirits. The usual method of doing this involves the use of the oak tree, the most sacred of all trees to the Perkones. The usual method involves simply hanging the victim from the neck on one of the tree's branches, but a special form of sacrifice involves nailing the victim to the tree through their hands and feet, and leaving them to die on the tree over the span of a few days to one week.

The Oak Tree is considered the most sacred of all trees to the Perkones, and they believe that oaks are the home of the spirits. To deface or kill an oak tree is punished by death. Oak trees are typically decorated by the tribes that are aware of them, and shrines often appear at the roots of these trees for sacrifice and petition of the spirits. When an oak tree or a collection of them is found, the tribes will construct special 'gates' that require those who wish to enter to engage in a ritual of purity before they may pass, on penalty of death.

The Nafas System
The Perkoni have an extremely complicated code of conduct in their daily lives that dictates every action in private behavior, and influences the public laws. This unwritten code is known as Nafas, and is sometimws known by outsiders as Perkonic Sacral Law.

Nafas divides all behavior into 5 catagories

Fihtos (Holy) - These are behaviors that are considered especially virtuous. This includes sacrificing to the spirits,taking on a second husband, freeing a slave, pilgrimage to an oak grove, and other such behaviors.

Duenos (Good) - Behaviors and actions that are commendable and within the bounds of morality. Getting married, smoking of cannabis, participation in a cannibalistic meal, and participating in daily rites.

Fitoz (Of Life) - Neutral behaviors of daily life

Malos (Bad)

Nafos (Forbidden) - Activities that are forbidden under all circumstances, punished with death. Murder, Damaging and Oak Tree, Treason, and such behaviors fall into this catagory.

The Westmen do not follow Nafas, which has lead to conflict between the groups. Westmen generally avoid public taboo, but do not, and are not held accountable for maintaining private taboo

Economy

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What resources your nation has, what kind of economy it uses, what is the lifeblood of the country itself? What are the trade and tax policies of the nation, who handles taxes, and what resources are best (or worst) exploited? Information on imports and exports will also go here.

Territory

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Information on your internal territory/states will go here, but it is highly encouraged (but still optional) to make your own internal realm map which provides an easy overlay for folks to read.

Terrain

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Lay of your nation's land and internal states, along with information on any beasts and horrors which prowl it. I've mentioned monsters and horror before, but this isn't exactly fully necessary. The more important information is on important landmarks and their relevance for the nation.

Factions

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Information on internal factions such as rebel groups, internal political groups, mercenary companies, secret orders, public orders, religious orders, and other relevant factions and guilds.

Characters

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The Triumvirate
Blaisa's brutal subjugation of the Perkoni Tribes was not the work of one woman, but of an intricate network of alliances, schemes, and partnerships upon which the war could be built. The Triumvirate consists of Blaisa and her two most trusted allies. Quintus, the leader of the Siluri tribe and Blaisa's first ally, and Livia, a human freed slave, who rose to be the most senior general of Blaisa's forces. While Blaisa now holds the title of High Queen, Quintus and Livia serve as her Consols.

The Triumvirate

Blaisa the Silent

Blaisa Pentila was born into a family of minor nobility within the tribe Feletsi. Her father, Drusus, was part of the tribe Pentiloi, claiming descent from the great king Malgos, who defeated the armies of El'Akim in the past, by way of his third son who settled among the Feletsi. Blaisa was the youngest of her siblings, as well as the smallest. The runt of the family contracted an illness in her infancy that left the girl with a permanent stutter, from whence she was given her name of Blaisa, meaning "stutterer". Seeing the stutter as indicative of some kind of mental retardation, Blaisa was scorned and hated by her family, who forbade her to speak in public, out of shame for her perceved condition. In fact, Blaisa was far from dimwitted, and from a young age immersed herself in the study of history. Little would anyone suspect this unassuming bookworm to be the future High Queen of the Perkoni.

Drusus filled a position in the council of the King of the Feletsi. An ineffectual ruler, Drusus and a handful of the councilmen wished to overthrow him. When their plan was discovered, the councilmembers and their clans were destroyed. While Drusus and his family were killed, Blaisa, who was seen as a harmless idiot, was spared. Blaisa fled to the lands of the Silur tribe, gaining favor with the Siluri king, Quintus, who became the first of Blaisa's allies. Blaisa, then a mear 16 years old, explained her case to Quintus. Her, being the sole survivior of Drusus' lineage, maintained a claim over the Kingship of the Feletsi. With backing from Quintus, she could press her claim, and ally the Feletsi and Siluri against the powerful Ruhsoi, who were harassing Siluric territory with slave raids.

Quintus

Quintus has had an interesting history as Blaisa's first ally. Taking a chance on a strange girl with a claim to her people's throne, desperate times caused him to take the risk. They payoff has far exceeded what he imagined. Now he holds power alongside the first High Queen of the Perkoni.

Quintus originated as the king of the moderately sized, but politically weak tribe known as the Siluri. The Siluri were in an uneasy truce with the Feletsi, but facing regular cattle and slave raids by the Ruhsoi to the east. The luck of the Siluri was changed when they got word of a civil war erupting within the Feletsi over kingship and found a refugee from the Feletsi migrating into their territory. The girl, only 15 years old, was named Blaisa, afflicted with a terrible stutter, but holding a distinguished pedigree as a descendant of Malgos. Blaisa, who now had spent 5 years working as the steward of King Quintus, negotiated for the Siluri to back her claim for Kingship over the Feletsi, and to kill the then King in favor of a Malogid king.

Quintus hesitated, while he had employed Blaisa as his steward for years since her arrival, now, the chance came to put a permanent end to the threat posed by the Feletsi, and gain an ally to wage war against the Ruhsoi. Blaisa's success in the war, and her quick consolidation of power among the Feletsi, impressed Quintus, who offered an alliance between the Feletsi and Siluri. This alliance would lay the foundations of future unification.

Livia

When Blaisa and Quintus defeated the Bofes, they found a human slave among the defeated. Quintus proposed selling her along with other found slaves, but when Blaisa proposed a price for her, the slave objected, demanding that her price was too low and insulting, and her cost would be triple what Blaisa had proposed. Blaisa debated the economics with her, and was so impressed and amused by the Slave, that she took her as her own personal slave instead. That slave was Livia.

Livia was captured in a raid as a child, and grew up as a slave among the Bofes, raising cattle. Little attention was paid to Livia, as her status as a slave led many to see her as a non-issue. However, Livia was busy educating herself by candlelight after her work was done.

[Slamurai]

Throwing some of the work I've done here:

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The Kingdom of Nandar

The Kingdom of Nandar occupies a stretch of land along the west coast of Eusovis. It borders … It was formed by King Aelend, who united the Nandari tribes after the fall of the Mukahim Empire. The Nandari then spread further inland, growing in might and influence. Nandar has a complex, often volatile relationship with its neighbors.The Dathanari Empire has invaded Nandar on more than one occasion, yet they have stood together against ... when their hegemony has been threatened. Ever vigilant of its neighbors, Nandar has come into its own as a powerful nation in Eusovis.

Government & Politics:

Political power in Nandar is highly decentralized, with the land organized into duchies ruled by semi-autonomous dukes. The monarch does not rule absolutely, but is instead regarded as a “first among equals.” At the founding of Nandar succession was hereditary, but this was never a popular trend and it fell out of practice early. The dukes form the high-ranking aristocracy of the kingdom and elect the monarch from their number.

Nandar’s system of dukedoms is a continuation of ancient Anar social hierarchy. The Anar organized themselves under the leadership of chiefs who ruled petty kingdoms and territories, forming the precursors to present-day duchies. These chiefs were near-exclusively chosen from a noble caste. Kingship was a temporary title and duty, conferred when centralized military leadership in a time of war was deemed necessary.

When the Muhakim Empire conquered western Eusovis, this system was left largely intact, provided the regional rulers swore fealty to the Empire. The territories of the Anar were incorporated into the Empire as the province Anaria. The borders of the Kingdom of Nandar roughly corresponds to that of Anaria, with some variation as a result of recent conquests.

Demographics & Culture:

The people of Nandar are the descendants of an ancient tribe of elves that settled in Eusovis thousands of years ago. Over time, these elves intermingled and bred with human tribes, creating a distinct blend of cultures. These peoples organized themselves into tribes and elected their leaders, often forming ad hoc coalitions against beastmen and other threats. They were known by many names, but the most dominant of these tribes was the Anar. The Anar was the namesake of the Muhakim province of Anaria and its socio-political structure would influence the region to the present-day.

Nandar society is divided into a hierarchy of classes: a noble class, a class of free-persons, unfree serfs and slaves. The nobility tends to live in cities, rather than landed estates. Though their duties include presiding over military and legislative functions in their duchies, most do not own vast swathes of land as per traditional feudalism. That honor belongs to the freemen, the largest class of Nandar. The freemen includes landholders, merchants, artisans and other ‘middle-class’ professions. In addition, their services are called upon in wartime as retainers and the levy of Nandar’s armies. Despite being the largest class, the freemen lack access to the king and the political influence required to make much impact on the kingdom’s politics and legislation. The class of serfs encompasses anyone who is not a freeman, but also not a slave, in the Nandari sense. These serfs are often tenants of the landowners, consigned to working the fields and farms of estates in exchange for residence and protection. They are tied to the land in which they work and cannot own property. Slaves occupy the lowest rung of Nandar society but slavery is not a widespread industry and they are not common. Slaves are usually prisoners of war pressed into domestic service. They may be considered part of a household, along with one’s family, but in other cases slaves have households of their own. Slavery is also a punishment threatened when an individual is unable to pay a finanical compensation for their crimes, or for certain criminal offenses. The guilty party will be made a slave to the victim, or injured party, along with their property. A person can also voluntarily become a slave to pay off a debt they cannot otherwise afford.

TBA History:

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The Clans of Okke

The Clans of Okke

The Lands of the Okke

Okke Banner

=-=General Information=-=

• Distant cousins to the Okan;
• Originally from the Kingdom of Ok’va;
• Tall and powerful Otterfolk;
• Okin are a semi-feral species;
• Have few of the gentler characteristics of their Okan kin;
• A militant and violent species;
• Worship monsters found within their lands;
• They sacrifice captured enemies;
• Plural Okin are Okinese;
• Population - 600,000 (estimated);
• Wealth - Poor; and
• Espionage - Masters.

Races

Races

Okin (Beastfolk)
The Okin are an otter Beastfolk race which primarily dwell only in Okke. Okin are larger and stronger than your average human, boasting sharpened teeth and deadly claws. Okin are physically agile, capable of leaping and swimming at incredible speeds, all are natural born swimmers. Okin are, culturally, very creative, playful, violent, cunning, and often are incredibly hostile towards others which is correctly interpreted as xenophobia.
Mucklings (Beastfolk)
The mucklings are a beastfolk native to the Midland Sea. They are short-statured, stocky, frog-like humanoids that dwell on the border between land and water. They begin life as tadpoles in the lake and grow throughout a five year period until reaching the humanoid stage, at which point they take on an amphibian lifestyle, hunting on land as well as underwater. They are regulated to a few villages and engage in ceaseless warfare with the Okin.

History

History

The Relocation, 980 / 1st Age
A generation before the collapse of the Muha Empire, the clan of Okke, long a rambunctious and rabble rousing clan of Okan, is forcibly relocated from Ok'va to the marshes and riverlands just north of the Inland Sea. Originally relocated to quell trouble among the Ok'va, the Muha soon take to hunting the newly relocated Okan for sport and their soft pelts.
The Fall of Muha, 2 / 2nd Age
The collapse of the Muha take some of the pressure off the Okan resettled in Okke. Their new home turns out to be inhabited by any number of ferocious monsters and beasts that begin to prey on the Otterfolk.
The Olmani Protectorate, 2 - 300 / 2nd Age
The various wars and conflicts that shattered the remnants of the Muha Empire largely ignored the presence of the Okke. An Olmani army briefly marched against Okke but the surrender was swift. The Okan were in no position to fight off an organized enemy. The Otterfolk kept a low profile as they struggled to make a home of the riverlands they had been forced into. As generations passed, the Okan who had settled the region evolved, becoming more feral, bigger, stronger, and faster. The time came when they had become noticeably different than their ancestors and became known as Okin. A sub-species of their distant cousins.
The Spread of the Clans, 300 - 383 / 2nd Age
The Okin, originally settled near the mouth of the river running into the Inland Sea, begin to spread throughout the riverlands. They quickly form a loose confederation of clans that controls a vast delta of waterways, rivers, and marshes. During this time they are largely wary of any conflict with settled societies and avoid contact where possible.
Revolt Against the Olmani, 383 - 500 / 2nd Age
In 383 the Okin first High Chief was created to direct and unite the clans, each locked in their own individual battles across the riverlands. With a High Chief organizing and issuing direction to the clans, the Okin came to realize the fighting potential of their species. The High Chief ended payments to the Olmani Kings and, when the Olmani sent a small force to "correct the issue", the Okin slaughtered them. So began a hundred year struggle between the Olmani, beset by enemies on all sides, and an Okin nation finding its first legs as a united force.
Going it Alone, 500 - 550 / 2nd Age
The Olmani Kings eventually decided the Okin were not worth the time, effort, and resources. To many soldiers were dying for a rainforest that offered little or no value to the Kingdom. The once useful auxiliaries obtained from the Okin had turned out to be effective fighters and their savagery in defending their homeland did not go unnoticed.
The Mercenary Years, 550 - 700 / 2nd Age
The first Okin, a mixed collection of the young and reckless, venture beyond the confines of their home and quickly find employment as mercenaries in various armies looking for excellent scouts. They would be the first of many to begin a tradition of seeking employment aboard. These years would lead the infusion of combat and life or death as part of Okin culture.
The Warrior Spirit and Golden Years, 700 - 880 / 2nd Age
With so many Okin returning from distant wars with loot, stories of battles won, and their reputation for combat growing, the Okin solidify their unique identity. Gone are the playful and adorable traces of the Okan. The birth rate during this time is bolstered by Okan refugees and mercenaries unable to return home following the various wars raging to the North. More pups are born in these 200 years than the 700 years combined.
Living Space and Settlement, 880 - Present / 2nd Age
The explosion in population leaves the Okin with a need to find more living space in order to preserve the balance between available food sources and the number of mouths needing feeding. This leads to immediate conflict with Varkovnia as the Okin begin to push west. The current High Chief has begun looking for a location to found the first true Okin city as his populace grows and their strength is tested. The days of living in mudbanks may be coming to an end.

Culture

Culture

Appearance
The Okin are an Otter beastfolk, much like their kin, the Okan, who inhabit Ok'va in the North. That is roughly where the similarities end. Where the Okin are smaller and more playful, the Okin are larger and lethally dangerous. Standing on their hind legs they range from five to six and a half feet in height with a grey underbelly and, typically, dark reddish black fur that allows them to vanish into the murky waterways of their home. Teeth are filed down at birth and their wicked claws are strong enough to puncture all but metal armour.

Rudder like tails and webbed feet allow them to move with breath taking speed through water. When on land they can move on two or four legs. Immensely strong, they can easily crush a human or elf to death by coiling around them and squeezing. Capable of holding their breath underwater, they are well known for ambushing enemies and dragging screaming victims into the deep and drowning them.

Okin Warrior

Holts (Home)
Okin Holts are most often dug out of the side of a riverbank, or other suitable area. The entrances are nearly always underwater and protected by netting or grills to keep out unwanted guests. The interior of the Holts are neat with all walls smoothed and treated with a white stucco like substance to increase the amount of available light. Flooring is always hard stamped mud bricks set on top of a thick layer of pea gravel, this allows moisture to escape the Holt and prevents flooding.
Craftsmanship
Okin craftsmanship is limited largely to fine leatherwork and wood carving. There are few precious metals in their lands and even fewer deposits of it, as a result most jewellery is made of shells or coloured gemstones. Key among their talents, however, is a unique way of heating and treating steel that makes it far more resistant to rusting; vital to the Okin in their watery home.
Traditions

Coming of Age

An Okin is considered to have come of age when they complete The Gauntlet. It is a highly secretive challenge where a young Okin is required to swim through flooded underwater tunnels without armour and weapons; defeating a creature cast into the tunnels by Okin Elders is the crux of the challenge. The creature is then eaten by the clan and the newly minted warrior receives a necklace of teeth or claws taken from the deceased creature.

Back to the Mud

Death among the Okin is a simple affair. When an Okin dies they are said to have gone Back to the Mud. The ceremony completed by members of the deceased's clan taking their body to the bottom of a river or lake and entombing it in the mud.

The Great Romp

Despite its fun name and images of dancing furry fun, it would not be further from the truth. Twice a year, during the solstices, all Okin gather deep in forest and engage in two days of sacrifice, drug fuelled dancing, and tests of strength, speed, and daring-do. This is the only time a challenger may come forward to try and take the place of Skipper (An individual in charge of a clan), or Chief (The highest ranked of all Okin). The challenge is always made without armour and weapons, and always is a fight to the death.

Family
The family unit is the very pillar of Okin society. Each family is considered its own clan, each clan lives in its own Holt, or den. Families are over seen by a Skipper, usually the biggest and strongest male or female of the family. clans have their own territories and guard them carefully. Poaching from other clans is considered a national sport to the Okin and rarely ends in bloodshed. Young Okin, pups, are cared for by the whole clan. Okin often find mates from other clans and the male always joins the females clan.

Naming Conventions

Okin have two parts to their name. The first name is often a single syllable in length. The second name, or last name as humans might call it, is earned through action. This of course leads to some Okin sharing similar last names but it does not mean they are related.

Okin identify with their Holt, or home, more than their name. For example, the High Chief is Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.

Law
For a semi-barbaric race, the Okin are remarkably crime free. Any offence against one member of a clan is considered an offence against the entire Holt. An offender must either settle their offence through payment of items, the Okin have no currency, or fight for truth. For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved clan and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Okin found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to sacrifice.
Entertainment
The Okin adore racing underwater and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Okke and an Okin can win much fame and wealth if they compete well and win. Plays and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together. When the Okin are feeling particularly blood thirsty they will often pitch prisoners against young Okin, or force prisoners to fight monsters of the forest in specially dug pits.
Slavery
The Okin keep no slaves, only sacrifices. Any prisoner taken by the Okin can be assured of eventual death.
Education
Okinese language is incomprehensible to an outsider and impossible for most other humanoid races to recreate. While sounding vaguely humanish, it is a deeply guttural language mixed in with grunts and clicks. The Okin do not keep written records as a folk, though each Holt maintains carefully documented leather scrolls of lineage, births, and death.
Cuisine
The Okin eat a diet rich in edible plants and fish. They are not opposed to red meat, it just happens to be rare in their homeland. Even the Mucklings can sometimes make their way onto the menu. In fact, the only thing the Okinese do not eat is their own kin.
Arts
Leather working, wood carving, music, and knot work are among the few "arts" considered by the Okin. Every Okin is an expert in at least one of those areas. Every adult is expected to be skilled enough with weapon to include it in a dance.

Music and Dancing

Okin music reliant on drums and the deep sounds made at the back of the throat. Other instruments are common of course but most dancing involves consuming the bark of a Bethadh Tree, which brings on a type of trance. Dancers sway and gyrate around fires to the ethereal rumble of the music.

Military

Military

Recruitment
Every Okin is expected to know how to fight from the time they come of age. Beset as they are on all sides by enemies, the Okin are constantly locked in a struggle for survival, be it with their more "civilized" neighbours, or the countless monsters that share their forest home.
The Okin Warrior
Okinese warriors would not be out of place on a pirate ship. Their weapons are as varied as the users themselves. The only commonality is the presence of a throwing weapon, often slings or javelins, and hand-to-hand weapons. Armour is made of leather, sometimes with studded metal worked in. An Okinese is as likely to rip your throat out with their teeth as they are to kill you with an axe.
Monstrous Support
The Okin have, from time to time, captured the young of local beasts and raised them to serve as monstrous creatures to take into battle. This is often only when the Okin leave their home to wage war in the lands beyond their forests and rivers.
Psychology Warfare
Like their Okan cousins, the Okin are masters of ambush and hit-and-run. Their lack of organization and smaller numbers make any sort of toe-to-toe battle utterly hopeless. They have instead chosen to lash out from the fog, the water, the trees, leaving no trace of their victims. Many enemies mutilate their enemy dead, those who are taken by the Okin simply disappear. It is an utterly unnerving and mind crushing experience.

Government

Government

The High Chief
The High Chief is the strongest among the Okin and gets their position through single combat. They sit in judgement of disputes between clans and act as the final say in military operations.
Current High Chief: Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
The Elder Council
The High Chief may be the Okin in charge, but all of his/her decrees must by passed through the Elder Council. Two Elder Okin are selected from the various clans to join the High Chief and advise him on courses. Voting is key here and a majority vote is final.

Religion

Religion

Monster Worship
The Okin have diverged slightly from their Okan kin in faith, but not by much. There are a number of Fae creatures which roam the marshes and forests, such as the Hulda, which is believed to be the risen spirits of long dead heroes.

The Hulda, whose strange underwater mounds dot Okke, take Okin dead and essentially reanimate them into the Bakhuva. These undead creatures are neither friendly nor hostile to the Okin; they are known to try and lure young pups away, to what purpose no one know. The Okin only tolerate the behaviour as the Hulda are entirely hostile to foreign interlopers in entering the forest and will alert nearby Okin to the presence of an enemy.

Economy

Economy

Taxation
The Okinese economy is entirely barter and trade in kind. They trade mind altering plants, the skins of local beasts, gemstones, and fish or shrimp, to their neighbours where possible. In return they take leather and steel, both of which they rework to suit their needs. A rather famous, though rare, export, is the famous Fireweed Grog. This powerful liquor is widely popular within Okke and highly prized by those beyond its borders for its powers and the smoke a drinker emits after downing it.

Territory

Territory

Map

WIP

Terrain

Terrain

Okke is a deep rain forest cut through with rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. There is little elevation gain anywhere and what few high points do exist are buried beneath the massive forest canopy that can rise to nearly eight hundred feet. There are no roads or marked waterways anywhere in the expanse, though a large ruined town built by the Muha is located on the Inland Sea. The only Okin town with actual buildings is located here.

Bestiary

Bestiary

Askafroa (Fae)
Lands mostly untouched by civilized folk, tend to spawn all kinds of horrors or legends of such monsters. Okke has spawned the Askafroa, a mighty and dangerous protector of the wood. Appearing like semi-humanoid trees, they move about through the use of long tentacle like appendages, sometimes walking upright. They feed upon any living creature in their path and can be found closer to the sea as they prefer saltwater marshes.

Askafora

Vatnagedda (Aquatic)
The Vatnagedda is a bottom dwelling aquatic creature that preys on anything small enough to eat. It is not particularly fast and thus rarely manages to catch a Okin, though they must taste wonderful as the Vatnagedda seems to favour them if given a choice. Strong enough to drag a small boat under the water, it needs considerable space to maneuver and can be mostly found in larger rivers and lakes.

Vatnagedda

Aglebemu (Aquatic)
A six-foot wide giant toad, the Aglebemu is often considered to be an ancestor species of the Mucklings. Like all toads, the Aglebemu enjoy fresh meat and lie in wait, buried in the mud, for an unsuspecting being to pass by. The unlucky creature is snapped up by a tongue coated with a paralytic that leaves the victim alive, but unable to move, while they are slowly devoured.

Aglebemu

Witta (Aquatic)
The Witta is a four feet of fangs, reinforced fins, and speed to match an Okin. This aquatic monster tends to move in small schools of six to ten and preys on small fish, unwary swimmers, and other aquatic monsters. They are also considered excellent eating by the Okin and are hunted for their flesh and redfrill.

Witta

Jacha (Aquatic)
The most dangerous of all aquatic monsters is the Jacha. The blind eel like creature hunts for its victims using vibrations in the water. Hiding beneath river banks in caves and cutouts, it lashes out with extraordinary speed, wraps its victim in a vice like death hug, and drags them into the darkness before sinking poisoned fangs into its prey. Jacha are highly prized for their flesh which is delicious when roasted over an open flame.

Jacha

Forlorn (Fae)
Forlorns are mist Fae, inhabiting shore lines and are incredibly rare, but are one of the more beneficial fae who are tolerated by both humanoids and other fae. Forlorns live in the mist and travel along with, resembling near invisible floating Okin. They often conjure rain for those who present offering to it, but also conjure short lived thick fog for ships who try to insult it or purposefully displease it. Forlorn seem to not be able to attack physical things nor control them, often their 'sweat' often is collectable and distilled to make powerful anti-magical salves and potions to cure minor curses.
Arachvau (Monster)
Arachvau are massive, horse sized, dragonflies which roam the Okke marshes, feeding on the other large insects and the occasional creature there. Peaceful normally, they are considered sacred by the Okin and pests by humans due to their strange appetite for chickens and dogs. Arachvau avoid humanoid contact, and rarely stay in one place, and tend to swarm all around Okin Holts. Their connection to Okin is well known, often being considered a popular ‘carrier pigeon’ for their armies and settlements.

Archavau

Maltzurrak (Canine)
The Maltzurrak is a monstrous canine that leads a strong pack of man eating beasts that some Holts will makes sacrifices to. These beasts are incredibly rare in the heartland of Okke but become more plentiful as one moves West toward the settlements and humans of Varkovnia.

Maltzurrak

Clans

Clans

There are four major Clans spread throughout Okke. Each covers a large geographical area and tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Okin. Within those Clans are thousands of Holts, or family units. Clans serve only to provide distinction on where a Okin is from, thus their names are somewhat specific to a region.

The Salt Flats Clan

This Clan lives primarily along the shores of the Inland Sea. They are excellent fisherfolk and enjoy clam bakes, hot summers on the beach, and attempting to murder the crew of unwary ships.

The Salt Flats

The Mudpelt Clan

So named for their existence deep in the Okke homeland and the grottos they call home. These are the most feral of the Okin and often the strongest. They are constantly at odds with their environment and The Romp is held in their lands.

A Mudpelt Grotto

The Rockbelly Clan

Found to the East where the riverlands begin to give way to drier climates, the marshes here are broken by rock formations that make make for a unique and fascinating place. The Okin here enjoy a sort of water slide sport down the side of jagged rock formations where one rides the smooth stones on their belly to splash into deep pools of cool water.

A Common Rockbelly View

The Redrock Clan

To the North, along the Muoarma and Olmani borders, the rock is a strange reddish colour all along the bottom of rivers and creeks. The Redrock Clan are the most battle hardened of any clan and they are often chosen to lead the Okin into battle. Rob Streambattle, the High Chief, of Holt Lutra is from this region.

Entrance to a Redrock Holt

Holts

The Holts, or individual family units, are numerous and can have up a thousand members in them. They're often settled in a small area with natural defences such as deep creeks, dense brush, or with jagged rock formations to make an approach difficult. The Holt is an Okins ultimate loyalty and only male Okin would leave a Holt to join that of their spouse.

Entrance to a Redrock Holt

Characters

Rab Streambattle

Name: Rab Streambattle
Clan: Rockbelly Clan
Holt: Lutra
Title: High Chief of Okke
Rab Streambattle earned his name, and his position of High Chief, during a savage skirmish with Olmani troops in which he killed, through combat or drowning, a half dozen enemy soldiers. He is one of the few Okin to have fought every major monster that lives in Okke and survived to tell the tale. He is badly scarred, missing his left eye, and the father of some thirty pups, and grandfather to another eighty. He is the first High Chief to begin the process of trying to settle his folk, moving away from a foraging and hunting toward a society where the life span might increase and Okin need not live in fear every night.
Family:

• Ara Swiftwater of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and current Elder of Holt Lutra.
• Buc Broadaxe of Holt Aonyx - Brother and current Elder of Holt Aonyx.
• Cei Slingstone of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and considerably younger.
• Thirty odd offspring, all of whom are fully grown adults.
• Eighty grandpups, most of whom are coming of age soon.