Name: Holy Zentaeri League, Sacrum Zentaurium Liguum, Heiliga Zentrar Type: Holy League (militant theocratic empire) Capital: Holy City of Drachefel, Reusseland, Vaerenheim Leader: Hochmeister (governance and military), Pontifacia (ruler, religious leader) Religion: Zentarism Dominant Species: Hecuris (centaur) Other Notable Species: Kobolds, Humans, Elves, The Holy Zentaeri League is a theocratic empire driven by the need to spread Zentarism. They believe unsanctioned use of magic is evil and only through the blessings of Zentaurius one should practice it. For this purpose they launched a number of crusades and may not stop until the entire world abandons witchcraft and embrace the light of Zentarism. The Holy League is dominated by centaurs but they glad to incorporate members of all races.
History
Hecuris (centaur) as a species were first documented during the pre-imperial times, large nomadic half-human and half-horse creatures roaming Westeland in small tribes. Some claim the mysterious "night riders" from 5,000 years ago were perhaps also centaurs given that cavalry should not have been plausible at such an early date. It is uncertain where and how they were born. Unlike many primitive races their belief system had no creator god, or even anything resembling standard religions. Scholars who studied ancient centaurs also recorded that they had various sub-races with three distinct breeds: Antares (warriors), Ergates (laborers) and Cursores (runners). The social status of each breed varied by tribe but usually warriors asserted their dominance and were chosen to rule as chieftains. Hecuris raids were a reoccurring blight to Ishtar but since they were disunited they never posed a threat to Navarre. Eventually tribes of Hecuris swore fealty to the Empire and provided auxiliaries to protect the borders. Unlike their brethren at the Far West the Hecuris under imperial rule developed their own united culture, belief system and everything. Historians date Year 522 the first time records of Zentarism. With the divine entity Zentaurius as its one and only god the records mention its curious nature. This is also often cited behind the Hecuris' new name, Zentaur. Over the centuries this name slowly turns into the species' common name of centaurs, although the more official name Hecuris does not fall out of use.
In 876 the war with the beastkin ravages the entire empire. The so far splintered centaur communities unite to form the loosely defined Zentaur Confederation. Their speed allowed centaurs to evade the waves of beastman hordes and remain relatively untouched. Yet lacking strong leadership they submit to the freshly formed Orduin Empire. Centaurs played an important yet oft-sidelined role in the reconstruction efforts. They were a source of military power directly answering to the Emperor and centaur settlers helped to repopulate some of the most devastated portions of the realm. Centaurs became something akin to secondary citizens, known for their strong loyalty to the Orduin Empire. Being loyal to the imperial line the centaurs only begrudingly accepted Hesper's claim for the throne. Thus in 1247 they put all their support for Dunehelm's rebellion. In spite of that the centaurs were hesitant to offer military aid and outright fight the Empire. In the end they send 4 centaur cohorts but even that was insufficient to stop Zeralda's forces. Feeling shamed and guilty the centaur leadership willingly excile themselves from the empire and they migrate back to their home province of Vaerenheim. Unfortunately the lack of powerful leadership quickly dissolved their country into several successor states and remained as such for a long time.
In 2020 a figure under the name Militandros the Great emerges. He unites the centaurs under the restored kingdom of Vaerenheim and puts his support behind the Orduin Empire. The bloodline of Militandros rules Vaerenheim for centuries while allied to the Orduin Empire. Yet compared to the kings of Vaerenheim grow increasingly weaker as individual states earn more autonomy. When the Ordoun Empire falls so did the country of Vaerenheim within years and the nation split to subfactions once again. The Vaerenheim Confederation retained a modicum of order but something new began to emerge. In 2433 a young centaur only referred as the Saint of Gevenfels emerges. She claims to have seen visions of Zentaurius and now she can directly communicate with him. Her acts of divine miracles gained the trust of numerous towns and soon acolytes spread her teachings everywhere in Vaerenheim. This "New Zentarism" of course also garnered numerous enemies from the old order Vaerenheim soon engulfed in a civil war. Ordo Coracis and numerous other knightly orders were established, ironically by recruiting commoners. In the end old nobles and clergy were ousted and believers of the New Zentarism created a new government maintained by knights and a reconstructed priesthood. In 1448 the Holy League of Vaerenheim is formed. The Saint of Gevenfels declared Pontifacia, bridge between our world and the world of god, and she worked hard for faith and the nation's prosperity. She laid down many of the current aspects of Zentarism and personally responsible for sending centaurs on their current path. In 1477 she stepped down of their title and chose hermithood. She was never seen again. Yet successors of the Saint all bore her will and continued her grand work. Believing it's their obligation to teach Zentarism to the entire world the centaurs began their incursion into former Empire territories. Their expansionism continues even now. Since 1505 they are known as the Holy Zentaeri League.
Territory
Government
The Holy League is a theocratic military state where the various Knights of Zentar rule in the name of the Archpriestess/Pontifacia. The man with highest authority is the Hochmeister/Grandmaster to whom every knight order swears unwavering loyalty. Each Meister/Master is given a commandry to govern which can be anything from a province to a small country. Larger regions covering multiple commandries are under the authority of the Grossmeister (Great Master) who may have less direct control but could influence the Meisters underneath them. Of course with knights being militant order first and governors second the majority of the administration is shared between the members of the Zentarist Church and the appointed civil governors. In general a recently conquered region retains most of its former governance structure but under Zentarist authority. As time goes on this could and almost assuredly will transform to a system governed by the Church.
The main directive of Zentarist conquest is to spread their faith and establish order as they will hunt down magic users. Local faiths are usually made subservient to Zentarist authority, only abolished if its teachings cannot be reconciled by the core elements of Zentarism. Aside from matters of faith the Church is also heavily involved in education, scholars, book keeping and matters of culture. The Church ultimately aims to placate populations and nurture people to be loyal believers of Zentarism. Thanks to the empire's might they often have the resources to be very generous and endear people to the idea of following the Church's directions. As said magic usage is restricted in Zentarist regions. Special buildings called Spell Sanctums erected near every magic font under their control. While these can't influence the fonts directly they can be used to direct the purest streams of magic power to people who carry specific items meant to receive these. Usually looking like amulets in the shape of a cross they are frequently used by clergy, sanctioned mages and paladins. Gathering magic power from the environment is strictly forbidden under Zentarism, or even teaching it. Those discovered with such abilities are declared warlocks and witches and could very well suffer capital punishment.
Zentaurius is an ancient deity of light chiefly revered by centaurs. Zentaurius is the embodiment of light and his birth ended the eons of darkness and brought the beginning of the world as we know it, at least according to centaurs. Albeit he's the sole deity of Zentarists he isn't the only deity they recognize. As such ancient Zentarist communities had no trouble holding rituals for other gods and it could peacefully work within the imperial cult of Orduin. Zentaurius is no creator entity, no lifemaker and not even a leader of gods. In this sense it's strange how Zentaurius became the patron of centaurs. Uniquely enough Zentaurius is looked upon as a teacher and source of enlightenment. Seeking him brought inner light to one's life and filled them with creativity, resolve and wisdom. This view got twisted considerably by the rise and dominance of "New Zentarism". Rather than respecting other faiths it became a pressing need to spread the love and reverence for Lord Zentaurius whose divine light should guide the entire world. Other deities can only be respected if they are allied to or subservient to Lord Zentaurius.
Another new element of Zentarism was the way they approached magic. For the longest time Zentarists were neutral to magic usage yet the new teachings declared most forms of spellcasting as impure and inherently evil. While Zentarists don't outright demonize spellcasters of other disciplines they recognize their art as wrongful and mages practicing these as misguided. Instead they promote their own spellcasting system where Divine Sanctums send magic energy to those faithful and owning the right trinkets for it. In their view this act is necessary to purify magic through Zentaurius' holy light. Natural magic occurrences are not abhored, though. It's only for artificial magic like spells, enchanted items and of course monsters, the perversion of the divine order.
Zentarism grown immensely in scope and organization in the last few centuries. They are the primary supporters of culture, magic and sciences. Even if most artists and scholars aren't part of the Zentarist Church, they have strong ties to them. A considerable portion of the League's mages are actual priests of Zentaurius and they are duty-bound to help people through their powers. Organization wise they have multiple branches but ultimately every member is subservient to the College of Primas and Priors. The title "Pior" refers to high-ranking male priests who have authority over an entire province (administrative sub-unit, usually there are 3-8 provinces per commandry). Prima are female priestesses tasked with similar range of authority but different role. Priors handle administration, culture, education and scholarship. Primas direct the matters of faith, religion and magic. Priors can advance the ranks further and become Cardinals, aside from increased authority this gives them power to elect the next Pontifacia. Only a Prima can be chosen as Pontifacia, it is an exclusively female title. This sorts of duality is present throughout the entire Church and could be even one of its defining attributes. Male priests deal with the worldly affairs while priestesses are retaining their purity to focus on the divine. Only female candidates are worthy of becoming the bridge between the people and Zentaurius while the male leadership acts like anchors to help her remain in this world.
Demographics
The Holy Zentaeri League is a growing empire which incorporates way more than just the former nations of Vaerenheim. As such it is little surprise that only 30% of the population are some type of centaur. In spite of this centaurs are the most dominant race of the League with all the other races being secondary. The League tends to build its administration above the day to day governance of the conquered so even after joining them the average countryman's life is hardly effected. Yet this system also naturally puts centaurs and those supporting them to the top. Elves in general have very good chances for advancement within the League thanks to their history with centaurs and of course due to their considerable magic potential. Albeit high elves are more of the extremes. Their past history of rulership and immense magic knowledge can easily put them at odds with the League. Many high elves become fugitives or migrate to other countries to escape the League's wrath. At the same time high elves who do cooperate with the League often find themselves at the same status as centaurs.
Centaurs are one of the larges if not the largest sapient species in the League. This means they require much greater amount of food each day. It also means that any building meant for centaurs have to be built with larger entrances and overall far more spacious. They also need servants for their day to day activities for which they chiefly utilize kobolds. These small reptillian creatures were enslaved by centaurs thousands of years ago and now serve them as indentured servants. They are small, merely 5 feet tall at average and weigh around 60 pounds. They are strong and tough for their childlike size but they are still weaker than the average human. Kobolds and centaurs have an unique relationship. Most kobolds served the same family of centaurs for centuries if not longer. They aren't just servants, in a twisted sense they are part of the centaur family. A kobold's prestige is determined by the prestige of the centaur they serve. Within certain limits the kobolds can choose to serve a different family but in effect this is rarely done.
Hecuris/Zetaur/Centaur is a type of creature where the upper body is humanoid and the lover body is equine. That being said centaurs aren't horse/human hybrids, they are an entirely different race. There aren't two bodies sewn together but a large body with its own unique anatomy. The chest of a centaurid holds two giant hearts pumping blood at a rate which might seem insane. This fills the centaurid with energy but also speeds up their metabolism, requiring more food. The abdominal portion of the upper body also has the first stomach, out of the three in total. The lower body has the lungs and intestines. Just as the hearts, this place holds almost every organ in twins or having a duplicate. Even if one pair of the organs fail the centaurid will not die, albeit it may limit vital functions down the line.
Centaurs are diverse with three typical forms: runner, worker and warrior breeds. These used to form a caste-based system but due to frequent interbreeding the divide between these three is almost non-existent. Centaur genes are somewhat unique in the fact that they can interbreed with almost any humanoid species. The produced hybrid will be a type of centaurid which also bears some traits of the other parent. For example elf-centaur hybrids would be smaller and more nimble in stature while also having the telltale pointed ears. For these reasons the centaurs in the past had to abide strict breeding restrictions but since the fall of the Orduin Empire they are no longer limited by such. Since a centaur-humanoid hybrid is still essentially a centaurid, they are referred as centaurs and continue being treated as such. Over the time regions dominated by centaurs will have increasingly larger proportion of centaur populations thanks to this fact. Kobolds being reptiloid creatures are of course unaffected by this phenomenon, albeit the meteoric rise of centaur population did lead to the League allowing non-kobolds to become centaur servants.
Centaurs are large, the mightiest warriors may weigh above 500kg and would be full of muscle. Even the comparatively tiny "ponitaur" breeds are heavier than almost any human. They are especially long which means they need far greater space to turn around. Centaurs don't like narrow spaces and their structures are filled with wide open hallways. A lot of building designs common for humans are borderline inaccessible for centaurs. This is especially true for castles. Tall spiraling towers or bastion tops with barely room to stand upon are just not feasible with centaurs. Another curious element is the chairs. Centaurs don't need to sit and even if they do, they lie down on bed-like furnitures. As such chairs are relatively uncommon in centaur-domninated regions, albeit they still exist for non-centaurids. Being as fast as horses while having even more stamina it is no wonder that centaurs love to travel. They can journey many leagues within a day and their horse-backs are ideal for large packages. Centaur travelers, traders or even missionaries are not an unfamiliar sight even in the most distant lands.
Economics
The League spans for over a thousand miles and covers cultures ranging from old imperial regions to racial enclaves of more shunned cultures. They are now all united in their local flavor of Zentarism. Joining the League also connects these small states to the centaurs' extensive trade lines which is an unquestionable benefit. Lastly there are a limited number yet very effective League-wide laws which helps to maintain public order and also ensures all races treated (mostly) equally. Whenever it was reasonable the Holy League restored the old Orduin Empire's system which given the familiarity of all constituents made it all the smoother. This includes their own variant of the imperial tecks called the Stavius. Unlike past emperors though the noble metal content of gold and silver Stavius rods is constant and the League doesn't devalue their currency. This makes Stavius a fairly potent trade currency with neighbors and generally League subjects gladly exchange it for their own local currency forms.
The League's center is the Seven States of Vaerenheim, the original land of the centaurs. As the nexus of the League's trade activity the region enriched massively and its cities are famous for their industry. Vaerenheimian steel is sorts of legendary in Ishtar while mechanical wonders only considered a rare curiosity during the Orduin Empire are becoming widespread. Of course in the general sense the trade of food dominates the League's markets. Just like during the Orduin Empire a good half of the region has either limited or rather poor arable lands. As such importation of grain and other foodstuffs dominate the League's trade lines, coming from foreign lands or just from other states of the League.
Military
The Holy League is effectively an empire run by the priesthood but especially knight orders. Garrisons of holy centaur knights and their retinue are protecting the people, maintain order and stave off rebellions. Though portraying themselves as protectors of people and justice these centaur legions are effectively occupation forces and the backbone of the League's military as a whole. A lot of the League's strategy builds on these trained centaurs and their abilities. In comparison non-centaurs are viewed as local defenders or auxiliaries. Some of them are more respected while others are viewed outright as second grade forces. Of course this is intentional since their lynchpin for order is these fiercely loyal knight orders who act both as army and governors. Centaurs are large and are effectively living cavalry which does heavily influence how the League approaches warfare. They prefer to be mobile to conduct raids and skirmishes with the sheer power of their knightly charges being the heaviest hitter. Everything else exist to support their actions and enable knights in battle. Another curious factor is the League's utilization of magic. Zentarism restricts spells to specific practices and source provided by Divine Sanctums. Zenarist magic is highly potent but only as long as it's within the range of these sanctums. When the League invades they need to rely on very limited magic resources which can dry up fast since gathering magic freely from the environment is strictly forbidden. Technically there are Zentarist practices which let believers in foreign lands to practice magic without sinning against Lord Zentaurius but it's less "okay" and more considered a "lesser evil". Which is why actual true believers who can afford to receive sanctified mana from Divine Sanctums this method is amost entirely forbidden.
Conventional Units
- Laegionar: Standard centaur soldier, less of a specific type and more the generic name for them. Standard Legionar wears a breastplate with maile or brigandine covering the limbs and lower bodies. They usually carry the Goedendag, a brutish spear-mace hybrid which can skewer its target or deliver crushing blows. They might carry ranged weapons, shields, lances or other equipment but those aren't the norm. Laegionars form the backbone of the Holy League's military.
- Volkswehr: A generic term used when in referring to units under local leadership instead of a knight order. Alternatively called the auxilia this term is also frequently used for non-centaur support units. Their quality can range from peasant levies to seasoned and well-equipped infantry, it generally depends on the region and other circumstances.
- Vaeliter: Light troop meant for flanking and rapid actions. They carry large stacks of pilums held in long quivers hanging at the sides which allows them to continue harrassing enemies. They only have light armor and a kite shield for protection.
- Jaeger/Begleiter: Skirmish and escort troop type chiefly armed with light ballestrinnes, allowing them to quickly reload and keep shooting while on the move. Jeager are lightly equipped and fullfil a similar role to the Vaeliter. Begleiter on the other hand are escorts of knights or support troops to a larger army. Begleiters wear medium armor and may be better armed than the average Jaeger but overall they fulfill a similar ranged support role.
- Schūtze: Specialists armed with heavy ballestrinnes meant for laying down long range fire or use their marksmanship. These require winches to pull back but their bolts are released even faster and travel further.
- Ritter: Warrior who spent their life dedicated to learning warfare and being loyal to the Church. They are considered chosen by Zentaurius to spread his light and to be a tool of justice. They wear heavy armor and form the elite shock troops of the League. They can also act as commanders of the League's forces.
Spellcasters
- Ordnungskler: Priests of Zentarism directly assigned to the service of a knight order. While a large number of them are meant to do ordinary jobs like administration, records and more menial duties the ones seen in the camps of knights are a different type. They are almost always spellcasters meant to mend wounds, cure aliments or just provide spiritual support. They aren't really powerful but knight orders tend to have a lot of these.
- Kampfzaubrer: Mages utilizing the mystic arts the "correct" way are called Zaubrers while witches/warlocks are Hexe/Hexer in centaur terminology. Kampfzaubrers are the battle mages of the Holy League, well versed in the art to support the army in battle. They can throw attack spells but more often they are seen to enhance the performance of the legion's performance via various spells. Most famously they create a "magic territory" around themselves where friendly projectiles are enhanced by some magic effect. The strength of this effect depends on the momentum of the projectile so a crossbow bolt has less boost than a cannonball. This territory is centered on the caster and moves along with them. Of course each projectile boosted strains the caster proportional to the amount of boost they get so this technique should be used sparringly but it is fairly infamous regardless. Also outside the Holy League where the Divine Sanctums don't reach the spellcasters need to carry bulky magic containers with them and even then they can only have limited use of magecraft before it depletes. Especially thanks to these battle mages the Holy League is considerably more dangerous at their "home turf" than outside of it.
- Fliegerritter: The flying knights of the Holy League. Any knight with the gift for magic could undergo further training and become a type of magic knight which specializes at flight. Centaurs can't really use flying mounts so instead they developed a spell which allows them to sprout wings and fly. Nobody knows why exactly the centaurs can fly like this. Some suspect shared ancestry with the mythical pegasi, others think the League's spells are just more refined in this aspect. Technically any centaur spellcaster can learn to fly but of course the inherent dangers involved means only the Fliegerritter are widely known for doing as such. Compared to the transformation the maintenance of the flight is relatively easy but it still requires concentration. Things get more difficult when the Fliegerritter journeys out of the range of Divine Sanctums. In this case they have to carry large mana reserves so they can only fly so far before running out. Of course as spellcasters the Fliegerritter can do other magic, mostly focused on enhancing their combat performance. In order to conserve magic these enchantments are effectively gone when fighting outside the League's borders.
- Paladin: The epitome of knighthood, the perfect holy warrior to defend Zentarism and show its fruits. Paladins often aren't born, they are made. They are product of the Zentarist Church's program of training knights. Those who prove worthy should advance further and by the time they are 25 they are already an elite magic knight who combines both might and magic. Paladins in a sense are comparable to Fliegerritter, only much more powerful. Aside from being heroic warriors who can fly the Paladin is also well-versed in the art of auras. These wide-range spells can effect entire army units to boost their performance considerably. A Paladin with aura of Fleet Footedness can erase the fatigure of the soldiers fighting with him and allow them to cross over terrain as if they are feather. Aura of Vengeance on the other hand turns an unit into holy avengers who fear nothing and strike harder than ever before. Of course with so much magic you could expect that the Paladins would run out fast when outside the Divine Sanctum. Yet they have special permission of mana consecration which means they are some of the few people in the League allowed to draw mana from the environment. While Paladins aren't as effective without Divine Sanctums they are affected the least. Paladins are rare and they only join battles worthy of their name. Yet even the presence of one such warrior can be an awe-inspiring experience.
Artillery
- Springaldier: Springald is a complex torsion artillery which can produce a lot of power for its small size. Springaldiers are specialists who carry such device on their backs for transport and assemble it together for battle. They are usually a group of three but two-man groups are also possible. Springalds can launch various projectiles ranging from oversized darts to just rocks or even pots filled with burning oil.
- Onager: Compact catapult device powered by a steel spring wheel in the center propelling a vertical arm and a sling pouch filled with either rocks or various bombs/incendiaries. Compared to a Springald which shoots rather high velocity projectiles for a torsion engine the Onager is designed for lobbing large projectiles over castle walls or similar utilities. The smallest Onagers can be even carried by a single centaur and throw rocks almost as heavy as a typical Springald. Larger engines can throw up to 30lbs projectiles which is why they are still useful. While throwing stones is the cheapest and hence most popular projectile for the weapon it is more known for lobbing incendiaries and explosives on defenders. Spell-boosting Onagers is also popular.
- Steinbüchse: Also referred as Bombards these are massive guns firing huge shots of stone. They are created by bell-founders since nobody else has the means to cast over a metric ton of church-bronze into one piece. They are huge, expensive and difficult to transport. Thanks to these aspects Steinbuchse are actually the property of the Zentarist Church and knight orders only have them on lease. They are finely decorated pieces with each given a name worthy for the Church. Steinbüchse of even the cheapest kind is rarely seen on the battlefield. On the other hand they are popular for both castle defense and sieging fortifications. Once the concert of the Church's avenging bells are heard, no wall should remain in place!
- Hauffnitz: A relatively large bore yet very short barreled cannon meant to be compact yet powerful for the right purpose. They can fire stone shots but more commonly they are filled up with sharp splinters of flint, caltorps, nails or much more rarely darts to spread projectiles over a wide area. Essentially a shotgun this weapon is meant to sow discord in the enemy lines from relatively close ranges and then retreat in order to reload. Hauffnitzer can be as light as only 50kg and even with carriage they could be easily drawn by one centaur. They are very simple and cheap guns which combined with their lightness makes them fairly common on the battlefield. There's no legion in the Holy League which doesn't have about a dozen of these.
- Ballestrinne: A personal torsion weapon which can be roughly compared to crossbows yet utilize mechanisms more in common with ballistas and similar siege engines. They are rather heavy compared to crossbows which makes them almost unwieldly for humans. The draw weight and overall design of the weapon is also generally made with centaurs in mind. Ballestrinnes can quickly attach a pouch on the string in order to allow it to shoot round projectiles like sling bullets and even more. This usage of Ballestrinne is most popular at point shooting ranges where the impact is the heaviest or when they need to launch special projectiles like incendiaries or even tiny grenades.
- Light Bolt: Meant for long range shooting. Weak but fast and very well balanced.
- Regular Bolt: Standard bolts, longer than crossbow quarrels but overall lighter.
- Piercing Bolt: Heavier bolt meant to punch through armors better.
- Spell Bolt: Blunt bolt meant to achieve the maximum efficiency out of the Ballestrinne. Cheap but useless without spellcaster support.
- Lead Shot: Accorn-shaped lead bullet, simple to produce but not as powerful as the newer bullets.
- Bludgeonshot: Bronze bullet cast in the shape of a tiny flanged mace, has a significant impact force that can incapacitate people even through armor.
- Scattershot: A thin glass tube containing multiple darts which spread out and cause multiple injuries.
- Incendiary Shot: A clay ball containiner filled with greek fire which ignites on air and spreads flames.
- Grenade Shot: A tiny iron grenade filled with gunpowder and caltorps which is chiefly disruptive rather than devastating.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Capital - Chervenista ► Demonym - Karynian ► Races - Urastians, smaller minorities of others ► Government - Constitutional Federal Monarchy ► Legislature - Karynian Synedro ► Currency - Karynian Vita
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Pre-Orduinian accounts of the Karynian Peninsula weave tales of several tribes, the race of which is disputed. In some cases, its peoples were of a sturdy constitution and possessed brutish strength, their teeth lined with fanged molars. Another common depiction from explorers of the era asserts their orcoid features, citing the inhabitants to be of slate or ablaster complexion, with sweeping, almond-shaped eyes and narrow complexions. Consistent records indicated that the inhabitants of what was then Karynia loosely organized themselves into several barbarian tribes which were known to also make use of extensive cave networks and tunnels.
The Navarros Incursions into the region under the guise of uniting all elfkind had dashed many of these tribes' independence, to which they were gradually reorganized beneath the Navarrosian banner. Over this period of history, Karynian culture largely became subservient to that of its High Elven overlord, yet rebellions and insurrection were a constant issue for the viceroys of the land. Even so, much of the native population began to intermigle with the elven settlers and governors of Navarros, until eventually the modern race of Urastians was formed from this union of elf and native, and with it, the culture and customs of Karynia shifted with it. The culture of the Urasliya - the ancient land of Karynia - was a true agglomeration, and by this cultural anthropophagy of tribal, martial, totemist, pantheonic, elven, and indigenous the contemporary culture of Karynia had its roots.
At the onset of the Pale Wars, several of the rebelling clans of Urasliya began a more emboldened state of resistance against the interloping Navarrosians. In 1212, many of these insurgents united beneath the banner of the champion Kashir The Great, in time taking control of almost the entire countryside. The continued war efforts culminated with the assistance of Orduin and the High Elves, finally settling in the momentous Battle of Ilithrvo, whereupon the forces of Kashir and the Urasliyans had laid siege to the final Pale strongholds within Karynia. Its people soonafter rejoiced; For the first time in its history, the whole of Karynia had become a united, free state, beneath the strength and wisdom of its first Tsar Kashir.
For their assistance in granting their freedom as a people, the Kingdom of Urasliya agreed to close cooperation with the Odruin Empire, and by 1245, they had effectively become a tributary vassal of the Empire itself, only nominally possessing independence. In time, such moves would prove rather unpopular with many of the new clans of Urasliya, culminating in the Seven Week's Rebellion in 1252. Although at first holding the advantage, the distraction of the Empire with its own civil war led the rebellion - commanded by Belyra the Bloody - eventually led to the reorganization of the Kingdom into a Tsardom, under which the Synedro was given additional powers, and with it, renamed the land from Urasliya to the more befitting Karynia.
With the onset of the Beastmen Wars, the relative isolation of Karynia led to a more insular outlook in politics; An attitude which has persisted unto this day. After all, the Beastmen were a continent away, and the Insects to come after had the great seas between Karynia and them. By maintaining such distance, the Tsardom was all the more nonplussed to see the dissolution of the Empire. Now, Karynia only maintains the narrow Ashava Isthmus as its sole land connection to the rest of Ishtar. Yet, the threat of another insect invasion grows more pressing by the day, and soon, the residing Tsar Alexandrov must appoint an heir to the throne, no matter how ill-prepared they may be...
The Urastians of Karynia are by and large Karynia's most populous race. Historically translated as "Snow Elves", "Ash Elves", or even "Dark Elves", Urastians are widely considered to be an elven people, sporting several unique facets. Typically, Urastians possess a pearlish complexion, with hues ranging depending on ancestry and lineage. Most Urastians will have some manner of lightish, sheen skin tones, with the true hue ranging from pure alabaster to a dark onyx, to rocky reds and exuberant pale pinks. Hair colors again vary greatly depending on genetics and stock, with colors from fierce crimsons to snow whites being the most common. Eye color tends to be more universal, with ruby, sapphire, and emerald tones. Urastians are, like most elves of their kind, rather tall beings, averaging about two meters in adulthood, with most females standing slightly taller than their male counterparts, weighing on average 80 kilograms. Notably, Urastians tend to have more clearly-defined musculature, as well as sharper olfactory systems than many of their elven bretheren, able to more sharply perceive scents and tastes. The fat composition of Urastians bear closer semblance to orcish races; A lactic sinew which contracts and gradually stretches with tone, which provides excellent insulation from cold and helps muscle elasticity. They are well-known for their hardiness and sense of balance, and during the era of the Orduin Empire, Urastians comprised some of the Empire's finest sailors and mountaineers, at ease in some of the most inhospitable of places.
The exact lineage of Urastians is still being uncovered by genealogists and anthropologists, and the current origins of the race continue to be poorly-understood. It is widely agreed that, during some point in the race's history, there was a large degree of cross-pollination with high elven settlers which came into contact with Karynia's native tribes during the Navarrosian Era, at which point the dynamics of the Urasliyan peoples shifted into the contemporary Urastians. Many scholars believe the ancient Urasliyans to have been of orcish origin, which throughout centuries of cross-polination have given way to the contemporary Urastians. Some contest this theory, citing the varied differences in orcish and elven physiology being too great to allow significant interbreeding effects between the two species.
Ostensibly, Karynia operates as a federated kingdom under the cooperative reign of its respective Tsar and the collective Synedro. Appointment to the position of Tsar is historically a hereditary position, first fulfilled by the current Tsar selecting an appropriate heir - typically one of their children or closest offspring - whose appointment is in turn confirmed with a 5/8ths vote by the residing Regency Council, itself a selection of officials formed from the Synedro. The Tsar acts as the supreme executive power of the land, and all acts, laws, agreements, and declarations must be approved and finalized by His Highness. Many of the day-to-day functions of the Tsardom are handled by one of the many Syneds, whom range from simple chosen representatives from miniscule hamlets to bureaucrats of colossal merchant houses. In practice, much of the Tsardom has a surprising degree of autonomy as a result of this federalized system, with local villages and municipalities serving as self-governing entities under the banner and guidance of the Tsardom. Thus, the Tsar has been likened to a conductor, of which the duchies and voivodeships of Karynia play to its tune as a finely-integrated orchestra.
Tsar Maeilych Alexandrov has served as Karynia's Grand Sovereign for eight decades, and his reign has been wise and good. He is often regarded as a sharp, keenly intelligent man, and his rule has been responsible for several of the Tsardom's most beloved (and much-needed) reforms. Yet for all the brightness that has come of the great Tsar's rule, all good things must come to close: It is no secret that Alexandrov is of sickly constitution, and his ailment worsens as the suns turn. Recent years have seen the Tsar grow more reclusive, where once an empowered and proud Tsar stood to greet his crowds no matter the weather, he shuts himself within his chambers in hopes he will grow better. His spirit has yet to be vanquished, for even in the face of such enfeeblement the Tsar has never faltered in his stalwart kindredness.
Even so, the writing on the wall is plain for all to see: The Good Tsar's life will soon come to an end as his health sours. To the North, whispers of The Pale's resurfacing spark fears of a future continental invasion and bring the Tsardom's long-awaited independence to an end. To the South, the Insectoid Hordes finalize their land-bridges and prepare to carve Ishtar into their hellish mound. Soon, he will soon need to choose a diligent successor to the Karynian torch.
Had this had been the case in any other land, in any other time, such an event would be rather standard-fair, if still of great importance. But, there is one great pain which keeps the Tsar awake:
His children, his most beloved progenies and beholders unto the Great Abonya Throne...are all woefully unfit for sovereignty.
Airya Chrysova - the eldest daughter and the most ostensibly suitable for the heirship - presents herself outwardly as the prim and proper Queen Consort of Karynia, often draped in impressive stateswear and carrying herself with the clout as if the world would move at her command. In spite of her sharp appearances, Airya possesses neither the traits nor the intellect to properly administer a county, let alone the political behemoth that is the responsibility of the Abonya Throne.
Truth be told, Airya would be little besides an insignificant inexpert if she held office in any standard administration, and serves to have no desirable qualities for selection...aside from a sense of entitlement toward the Tsardom. Zevlan Lirisov - the Tsar's second eldest and the eldest royal child - was from a young age a curious bookworm who much preferred to be lost in a world of imagination than to be bothered with the trappings of reality. Such an inquisitive mindset has travelled with him to adulthood, where he now finds himself more explorative into the finer arts and humanities. He remains a musical soul, and has since become an accomplished musician, artist, architect, and chef in his own right.
Although he possesses, and perhaps surpasses, all of the intellect and insight of his father, there is one glaring flaw: Zevlan has no interest in taking the mantle of Tsar, and has repeatedly insisted that he be passed up in favor of a more willing contender. Should the selection process come to him, it is very likely that Prince Zevlan will respond with an immediate abdication, leading to the entire succession crisis anew... Zora Viktorova - the ever-so-apt middle royal child and the youngest daughter of the Tsar - has emerged from the Mareilov Military Academy as a shining military protege. Princess Zora recently graduated with incredible marks from her officer's schooling, having earned the most sincere regards from her instructors for her stupendous wit and prodigious sense of battle. She has also emerged from the academy with a flawless wargaming record - a feat only achieved thrice in the school's centuries-long history.
A military genius in the making, Zora may very well be, yet peering beneath these feats lie the cause for the Tsar's nominational hesitation: Zora is...famously uncouth. The Princess remains brash, belligerent, and brutally straightforward, often disregarding decorum as a fumbling waste of time and has shown little regard for civic administration, nor the needs of a day-to-day kingdom. While a great general Princess Zora may soon become, her aggressive nature leads the Tsar to fear that, should she gain the reigns to the Tsardom, her hawkish demeanor may entangle the realm in pointless wars until it inevitably brings the land to ruination... Levin Kralovsky - the second youngest of the royal children - is little more than a decadent socialite who has such far levied his position as royalty to enjoy many of life's "finer" pleasures. Prince Levin is well-renown for his Epicurean lifestyle, where he can mostly be found at ostentatious parties. More concerned with building harems and wine glass pyramids as to bridges and warships, Prince Levin lives a thoroughly indulgent lifestyle to which all concerns uninvolved with his orgies of debauchery are of secondary concern.
The sole saving grace to a reign of Prince Levin, it seems, would lie in his aloofness. In the eyes of some, having Levin upon the Abonya Throne would, at bare minimum, mean that the would-be Tsar would be far too caught up in his own pleasures to obfuscate the Synedro's day-to-day machinations... Georgi Kirilov - the youngest son of the Tsar and youngest of the royal children - is but a mere infant. The baby prince has just begun to take his first steps, and with the guiding hand of his private tutor and wet nurse, shall perhaps grow to be the fine heir to the Abonya Throne the Tsar so desperately seeks.
Yet, as the fledgling Prince Georgi grows older, so too does the Tsar, and when time is of the essence, the gamble of putting Prince Georgi upon the throne is one too far ahead for the Tsar to reasonably forsee...
Karynian culture is primarily the agglomeration of many of Karynia's occupiers and affiliates mended together with millennia-old folk traditions. Karynians largely organize themselves into entities known as Vasri, often translated as "House" or "Clan", many of whom have roots in pre-Navarrosian tribeships. Affiliation to a particular vasri is rather complex, and there are few uniform dogmas under which all Karynian vasri operate. Some vasri are near-entirely composed of hereditary members, while others form as a result of like-mindedness or mutual interest. As a result, vasri are a surprisingly fluid construct, disbanding and reforging through the course of time. Broadly speaking, affiliation to a vasri is by-in-large equally flexible, and order of affiliations is often expressed through the naming conventions of each individual.
A result of the centuries-long intertwining with Navarrosian and Uraslyian cultures, Karynian society places high value on the finer aspects of life, holding artistry, merrymaking, and the pursuit of knowledge in high regard. Coupled with the omnipresence of vasri within the Karynian ethos, marriage as a ceremony or construct is almost exclusively done to show affiliation or allegiance, and holds few - if any - romantic connotations. Karynians find it foolish to feel overly beholden to one person in particular, as the very nature of Karynian society often demands such that one make oaths to several persons or institutions, and this naturalistic efficacy of responsibility to not only one person, but towards the well-being of an entire group or clan, extends well into the field of personal relationships. Indeed, it is exceptionally rare to find a Karynian who will only have one romantic interest or claim allegiance to only one vasri, and to insist contrary to such is viewed as unctuous and selfish.
This same fluidness - when combined with Karynia's famed appreciation of magic - has resulted in a rather dynamic social structure within Karynia. As inclusion within a vasri is typically not beholden to birthright (thought intense cliquing within vasri make some more exclusionary than others), it is not uncommon for peasants to take up mantles several scores greater when they have shown to prove themselves to their vasri. Yet, many vasri - especially many of the elder mercantile houses - are still a fiercely tight-knit bunch, often quick to dissociate with the new.
Great arboreal forests spot the coasts along Karynia's north and east, and the ancient greatfirs and pines of the boreal wood have given generously for as long as there has been a Karynia. Saps, maple and pine syrups, hazelnuts, paper, canvas, lumber, and refined woodworks come from all over north and east Karynia, and make up some of its most notable holted goods. The crested streams and rivers which lie within the interior give way to Karynia's seasonal agricultural bounty. Karynia becomes frigid through the late autumn months until spring, yet the volcanic soil of the region makes for excellent plantations of its hardy native crops. Cranberries and spiceberries are hardy enough to grow nearly year-round, while apples, apricots, barley, cauliflower, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, and tomatoes are all staple crops of the Karynian harvest. Much of Karynia's central hills give way to crags and caverns as well, where within coal, copper, flux, and iron are extracted throughout its vast subterrania. The volcanoes which stand resolutely in Karynia's center and north produce colorful arrays of volcanic ash, and the rocky, sedimentary fjords and coasts of Karynia couple to create miraculous glassworks.
In the time of the Orduin Empire, the Tsardom earned the apt nickname, "The Cask of the Empire", for Karynia's coupled glassworks, woodworks, and agricultural bounty - coupled with Karynia's love for festivals and celebrations - have produced a hefty demand for drinks, which are more than gladly met by Karynia's distilleries, vineyards, and breweries. Whether it be Shara's famed barley ales, Yurigrade's warm maple meads, Pristina's rich spiceberry wines, or Chervenista's succulent cranberry brandies, Karynia has always been there to fill Ishtar's glass.
With rich forests, long coasts, and cragged rivers nestled by the coastal winds of the West, Karynians have long been a seafaring people. Shipyards and docks adorn Karynia's extensive coastline, where the canvas and lumber of the forests are transformed into keelboats and frigates, each adorned with Karynia's iconic triangular sails - It is said that the shipyards of Kajsya Sad can be given a tree at sunrise, and would return a ship at sundown. Crabbing and whaling are famed Karynian traditions, and to this day, brave whalers brace the frigid northern oceans, sometimes for days on end, in the perilous quest for their colossal prey. The rich maritime traditions of Karynia have brought with it esteemed merchant vasri, whose fleets sail all around Ishtar in search of yet another good trade.
The armies of Karynia are, by and large, a fairly conventional force. Most individual voivodeships possess their own guard, and even smaller vasri are often known to hold men at arms. In times of war, these guards are pressed into the service of the Tsar, raised as armies alongside the many forces prevalent throughout the realm. Knightly orders composed of vasri, known in Karynia as cherveks, compose the most notable permanent standing force within Karynia. Cherveks drill incessantly as they spend their extensive lifespans mastering the art of war in its many forms, often only retiring to career-ending injuries suffered in warfare or sport, then soon retiring to once again teach the next generation of warrior. Karynian cultural heritage has long favored the use of great, two-handed weapons, and greataxes, glaives, halberds, mauls, and greatswords compose the most common weapons of the Karynian arsenal. Magic plays a critical role in Karynian upbringing, and its incorporation into every aspect of martial arts is intertwined such that the distinguishable difference between the magical and the martial are practically inseparable in Karynian dogma. More specialized, powder-based weapons - the likes of muskets, grenades, and cannons - are growing in popularity within Karynia, yet as their role and utility is heavily debated in this era of change, it remains uncertain how these inventions will best be used when competing against the omnipresent use of magic within Karynia.
Cherveks famously favor using griffons as mounts, their immense strength, agility, and endurance lending well to the chaotic nature a battlefield most naturally provides. Those seeking greater thrills - and perhaps, animal handling skills alongside such fiery passions - prefer using wyverns as their mounts of choice, the immense strength and famed stubbornness of the animals lending itself to solely the most daring of chervek. The famed ashgliders of Karynia's volcanic regions provide the realm's most unique mount. Ashgliders are lizard-like winged creatures which thrive within volcanic environments. Possessing great wings, thick scales, and a notoriously stubborn temperament, ashgliders are, perhaps oddly, swift and unbothered. Their nonplussed temperament makes them relatively simple to ride, yet this same demeanor makes them lack the raw brutality of a wyvern or the elegant strength of a griffon. Instead, the ashglider's greatest strength lay in its sheer resilience; Many folk tales speak at length on the ashglider's ability to bathe in molten lava and survive for weeks on a time with minimal sustenance.
Due to the circumstance of Karynia's geography - only sharing a narrow (if quite fortified) land border with its Zentauri neighbor - the Tsardom affords to put less concern upon the maintenance of a land army, largely keeping its varied cherveks at the whims of regular training and tournaments. Instead, Karyina prides itself upon its naval prowess, from which the extensive coasts and merchant marine of the realm need constant survey from pirates and interlopers. The constant patrols and exercises by the Karynian Navy serve as an omnipresent reminder - to Zentaur and Chiti alike - that the Seas of the West are the domain of Karynia, and none other.
Region History: The region of Valanor was once a collection of human tribes, chiefdoms, and warlords that fought each other even more than they fought the Orduin Empire and the Navarros before it.
During the reign of the Navarros Empire, the elves established colonies in the region (causing the local populations to make many stories about them punishing naughty children, cursing the greedy, or being wicked tricksters). While the colonies developed into sizable cities over the decades, in the year 876, the "First War of Incursion" began, along with the subsequent Navarros schism. This caused many of the colonies to be cut off from the rest of the empire, birthing a strong sense of independence; which would create rocky relations between the colonies and the empire for years to come. It was only in the year 890 that proper connections with the Navarros Empire were reestablished, but due to it being split in two and other logistical issues, the connection would be constantly on and off.
These relations only got worse during the Pinnacle War of the year 1109, which forced the colonies to turn on their human neighbors (many of which they relied upon for trade). The colonies dragged their feet and jumped through hoops to avoid out-right conflict with the local human tribes. Most of the colonies declared independence from the Navarros Empire in the middle of the war and disappeared, hiding themselves with elven magic. These colonies became the mysterious elven cities sung about in local songs.
In the year 1210, the elven cities would resurface against their will when the Pale entered their lands with the intention of recruiting the elven sub-races in the area. These woodland elves would fight beside the human barbarians in the region and later the legions of the Orduin empire against the Pale threat. They would then play a somewhat more active role in the region going forward; however many chose to return to a isolationist and secular lifestyle despite no longer having magic to hide the cities.
Up to this point, the human scene in Valanor was mostly the same. Barbarian raids were a common hazard for those who tried their luck at the frontier regions of the Orduin Empire. During the so-called era of peace in the year 1223; the empire brought something resembling stability to the region when rather than conquering and holding the region they backed 4 of the local kings and helped them to carve Valnor into 4 puppet states that were vassalized by the empire soon after. These four petty kingdoms were Saxland, Hortshire, Gathland, and Ivenhoe.
In addition the elven woodland cities, hidden or otherwise, also swore fealty to the empire; as they were still recovering from the Pale attacks. In a twist of fate the elven cities that so loved their independence had sworn away their freedom in return for safety to yet another empire.
Many within the four petty kingdoms would join the Imperial Legions to fight in battles beyond their homeland, bringing home with them the culture of the Legions and with it that of the empire.
Cultural integration exploded during the 1253-1903 era of peace. Many Emperors decided to focus more on developing the outer regions and slowly but surely the barbarian petty kingdoms were not barbarians anymore. They became some of the most active and civilized regions of the empire for a time, serving as a bridge between the capital regions and lands of the far north.
Accord History: The Valanor Accord's formation began in the year 2424 shortly after the infestation and sacking of the Imperial Capital by the bugs of what some call "The Great Swarm".
With most of the royal family, the senate, and the highest members of nobility killed, the empire was officially in a state of crisis. The various Legions across Orduin were either already destroyed or had begun their counterattack, with plans of their own.
In this time of crisis, some of the legion generals granted themselves emergency powers to try and salvage the situation. Some went off to become warlords and kings, however a small coalition of Imperial Generals remained united and played a key role in organizing a unified effort to beat back the bugs.
In the year 2425 the Valanor Accord had partaken in the push back of the Chitijian forces. To their disappointment however, rather than the empire reuniting, it began to break apart. Many would be rulers claimed to be the new "heir to the empire" while others declared full blown independence. The Accord made attempts to exercise their authority amongst the vassals of the empire, but could not even stop their fellow Imperial's from attempting to secede or seize power. This began the 200-year era of chaos in Ishtar.
The coalition of Legion Generals refused to admit defeat and returned to the Valanor region in which they controlled. They refused to relinquish their emergency powers, which persist to the modern day. The Generals organized a coalition of vassals and soldiers who were still seen as "loyalist" uniting them into a force intending to reunite the empire. This alliance, based primarily in the Valanor region was appropriately named the Valanor Accord.
After a decade of fighting, people began to question the legitimacy of the Accord's goals, especially when other powers had actual claim to the Imperial throne (little as it may be). The now formed Legionary Council decided to find the "true" heir to the empire and swear their oaths to serve them.
A man was brought in who was the bastard of the late emperor and a concubine, but claimed that the emperor had planned to set his wife aside for his mother and him. While dubious, it was enough for the Legionary council to latch onto.
The man was married to the governess of Itillia, and his line became that of the "new Imperial line" at least as far as the Accord was concerned.
During the 200 years of fighting the Accord had changed from an alliance to what was functionally a micro empire of sorts.
The ideals of the first Legionary Council have permanently altered the way the Accord developed, and while there were many cease-fires across the years, they would never last and before long the Accord was once more attempting to wrestle control of the empire from their rivals, with the capital city being their most tantalizing prize.
In the year 2617 IC, the Free Emirates of the Northern Wastes another faction that popped up after the fall of the empire, was subjugated by the forces of the Accord, and gifted to the Petty Kingdom of Ivenhoe.
In recent years, after a short hiatus; the efforts of the Accord to take the capital have doubled, in no small part thanks to Prince Nero, bastard son of the late "Emperor" and half-brother to "Emperor" Ancel. Acting as Ancel's regent, Nero has worked with the Legionary Council to reorganize and train thier forces into a competent fighting force.
However, tensions between the council and Nero have begun to grow, both sides claim the other is using the young Emperor as a puppet. At this same time, the Cult of Dumas have entrenched themselves into the lives of the court. Even the Legionary Council itself is divided. And whispers of a new threat circle in far off villages.
The Accord must ask itself if the survival of the alliance, of what they believe to be the true empire, is worth throwing away all that made it great in the first place.
Government:
On paper the Valanor Accord claims to be the continuation of the Imperial Monarchy of the late Ourdin Empire. An Imperial Monarchy with an Emperor at its head. However, in reality, things are quite different.
The Accord itself is actually a coalition of former imperial territories, with various petty kings and governors declaring their support. The bulk of this alliance comes from the 4 petty kingdoms of Gathland, Hortshire, Saxland, and Ivenhoe. At the head of this coalition is the former Imperial province of Itillia.
The governors, petty monarchies, nobility, and other such leaders who sided with the coalition maintain most day-to-day control over their regions. However, they are utterly subservient to the Legionary Council, the true ruling body of the Accord.
The Legionary Council is made up of six generals who essentially have full authority to do as they please within the Accord. The Emperor only steps in to serve as a tiebreaker if the council is fractured down the middle on an issue or strategy.
Because of the "Emergency Powers" granted to the generals, they in turn must constantly be looking for ways to expand the Accord's territory and influence, in particularly towards taking over the capital.
There is also a royal court within the Emperor's castle. These ministers and officials are responsible for managing the Accord's capital and other policy making decisions that effect the greater realm.
This includes Imperial Chancellor, the Royal Chamberlain, The Minister of Ships, the Minister of Coin, the Arch Bishop, the Master of the Hunt, the Keeper of the Imperial Seal, and the Royal Justiciar to name a few. However, anything the royal court does that may interfere or even annoy the Legionary Council can be repealed by a majority vote amongst the Generals; essentially forcing members of the royal court to try to earn the favor of various generals in order to get policy passed.
Culture:
The Valanor Accord, has a unique culture that mixes the local ways (western/central Germanic cultures) with that of the late Orduin Empire. Since the empire's fall the lands united under the Accord have become deeply militarized, and national identity overhauled in a way that makes every citizen from crib to grave believe they are the true descendants of the Orduin Empire of old.
With that said there are some differences from location to location.
Itillia: The governing region of the Accord, it is paradoxically the most contested region, and the most highly populated. Itillia is a shining example of the cultural mash-up within the Accord’s lands.
Your average Accord soldier.
Elven Cities/Elves: There are three types of elves that live in Valanor.
Wood Elves: A type of elf that lives in the forest and is in touch with nature and the physical world. Very secular.
Light Elves: A term used to describe elves who dwell within their hidden cities. They are ethnically run of the mill elves, but descend from the old Navarros colonies within Valanor. Their homes are described as giant lanterns hanging from colossal trees, cliffsides, and caves. Somewhat Secular, but will make exceptions regularly.
Man-Elves: An elf who does not live a secular life, being born and raised amongst humans or at least living a similar lifestyle to that of their round ear compatriots.
The Four Petty Kingdoms.
Gathland: The heavily wooded region of the Accord. It births skilled trackers, huntsmen, and longbowmen. It is a decentralized land with powerful barons and honorable knights.
Hortshire: A land of rain, swamp, and hills. Their castles and soldiers are often decorated with a starkly gothic design, indicative of the men and women who live there. They say a knight of Hortshire never does anything just because.
Saxland: A land of mead halls and song. Of shield walls and faithful warriors. The least “advanced” of the four petty kingdoms, and yet perhaps the one with the most heart.
Ivenhoe: A land of chivalry and courtly love. A land of famine, sand, and trial. Despite the harsh environment this kingdom manages to produce the most honorable and pious of knights. The people of Ivenhoe are also masters of theological study and scholarly pursuits. Theological debate and discussion is so engraved into the culture that a full-on heretic would be treated with more respect than most non-believers.
Religion:
Church of the One: a popular religion that had been around since before the Pinnacle War, however, did not reach wide-spread prominence until the era of peace brought about by Hesper's bloodline. It follows easy to understand concepts of right and wrong, which combined with its promise of forgiveness of sins has lead to wide popularity; and makes it very easy to proselytize pagan regions. They believe there is only a single god they call "The One", "One", or "He who is he, that who is that." They believe that all other gods are simply spirits of light, order, chaos, and darkness; whom while real, are not deities.
The One, chose to be born into this world years ago, making himself vulnerable to pain by taking on a physical form of a baby. He lived a human life and died a man before returning to his heavenly throne so that people may learn that no life is more valuable than another, and cannot be determined by outward success.
Holding many similarities with Zentarism, some say it is a human/elf focused branch sect that broke away years ago, while others claim it is the other way around. However scholars argue that the modern flavor of Zentarism is too recent for this to be the case. Other theologians subscribe to the idea that the pre-Pontifacia faith as well as the Church of the One may derive from and even older religion from the pre-Navarros days or beyond. Most of the core values and stories are similar. The key differences being superficial in nature, with the only noticeable ones being the role of mages in society, and the bureaucratic structure of the church.
The Church of the One is unisex in its upper clergy, with the lower ranks such as nuns and monks being more segregated. The Church is separated into three branches called houses.
⦁ The House of Prayer, led by She who speaks.
⦁ The House of Healing, led by He who tends.
⦁ The House of Arms, led by She who fights.
⦁ Above these three is He who seeks, the leader of the church.
Whenever someone from the three houses passes, the cardinals come together to vote upon a replacement. When He or She who seeks dies, they elect a candidate from among the three house leaders.
The church also has a group of sisters, called the “Sisters of Song”, nuns that either regretted/broke their vows, or otherwise wanted to take on a more proactive role in service of the church. These sisters are exempt from the laws of celibacy and serve as spies for the church. Once one completes their service to the church they are given the option to leave or continue their work. Most choose the latter.
There is also a group known as the "Toilers" which act as a male counterpart of the Sisters of Song, however unlike the sisters they do not get to keep their title, and are not considered part of the Church hierarchy.
Slavery in the Church of The One, is seen as not only an evil upon fellow souls, but a insult to the one true master The One. As all are equal under the light of The One from prince to popper, so too are the races and peoples of the world. This anti-slavery sentiment goes further when combined with the dislike of dark magics to create a dislike of necromancers, doubly so necromancers who use living souls; as it is seen as the greatest and cruelest form of slavery, baring souls form the heavens and trapping them in the mortal realm. While seemingly cut and dry the slave/undead debate has become quite nuanced amongst the Accord and even a little bit in the clergy of the Church. Still the Accord has taken on an anti-slavery stance in accordance to their majority faith.
Mages meanwhile, are expected to use their powers for good, and while they are not caged or enslaved, committing a crime with magic always yields a heftier punishment. There are also only certain kinds of magic that is considered taboo; typically, blood, dark, and other such magics that defile the source, and/or cannot be preformed without hurting another living being (even an evil one).
While there are always exceptions, most of the high clergy are made up of mages.
Cult of Dumaus: Despite the outward support and participation in the Church of the One, the Cult of Dumaus has its talons in the royal court; whispering sweet nothings and promises into the ears of the Accord's leadership. They worship an eldritch deity named Dumas from a place they call "The Abyss" and have backed their claims with dark magics and "Signs of love" that would be described as miracles if they did not come with such a terrible price.
Unchecked magic and blood rites are commonplace within the cult, who encourage hedonism and debauchery amongst its followers, while singing that madness is the apex of enlightenment. They believe the only deity worthy of worship is one who waits on its followers like a doting parent, showering them in endless love, in return for their own endless affection. They prove their love through their dark deeds, and wicked actions.
The leaders of the Accord have convinced themselves that THEY control the cult, not the other way around. However, every day more and more nobility and ministers submit to the cult's demands while the Legionary Council do nothing, out of ignorance of the cult's actions/deeds/intentions, refusal to see the true danger they present, or fear of loosing the proven and needed support of this cult in their war efforts.
The cult was brought to court by Prince Nero, who was searching for new allies to support his own efforts of not only putting his half brother on the Imperial throne, but reclaiming control of the Accord from the Legionary council. The cult's current leader is a young girl named Luci, who has gardened Emperor Ancel's ear due to their closeness in age, and a childish desire for a friend from the young ruler.
Economy:
The Valanor Accord is in a constant state of war-time economy, even when they form an armistice with larger foes it is only so they can deal with internal threats or smaller factions. It is to the point of which if they ever achieved their goal and finally reformed the empire, the economy would completely collapse in on itself. Even so, while their ultimate goal is to reform the whole empire, they are not against committing to trade with other factions in the meantime.
The Valanor Accord trades in game, furs, fish (both fresh and sault water), textiles, linen, as well as agriculture; with wheat, oats, and barley as the favored crops and sheep, lamb, and goat being of particular value in the area.
Ivenhoe offers vineyards of desert wine, while Hortshire brings plants and animals from the rare swampy regions of Ishtar.
Saxland produces honey, and mead, as well as some beef cattle. Gathland, while being head of the fur and game trade in Valanor, also produce lumber from the forest which is also processed into boards useable wood.
In order to maintain the legions, local lords employ any who are willing to work. More hands are always required, with most of the young men joining one of the legions. Thus many who previously would be passed up for work find themselves with a job available.
Iron and other metals are of the highest concern. "The Fissure" (the mountain surrounded by swamp land on the map.) provides significant sums of iron, however it is only a matter of time until it runs dry. Meanwhile the Ivenhoe river's quarry provides stone for the Accord as well as buyers beyond.
Military:
The military is almost entirely under the control of the Legionary Council. While the Accord has found itself on occasion to require the aid of levies, they much prefer the discipline and training of the Accord's legions, which trace their roots to (and are a shadow of depending on who you ask) the Legions of the Orduin Empire.
Each general on the Legionary Council is given control of a single legion. However, whether these armies are large enough to be considered legitimate legions is a whole different matter. Each general is responsible for keeping their legion feed, and taken care of. Most legions are made up of trained legionnaires however in cases of larger scale campaigns, levies from the other Accord controlled lands will be raised to join the fight.
The title of knight doesn't carry over any weight within the legion. it is possible to be an anointed knight and still be a common foot soldier in the legion's forces. However, because by nature knights are pre-trained, own their own horses and equipment, and generally have more military experience than a grunt, they rise through the ranks quickly, or are transferred to a cavalier unit if they already have a horse.
There is no laws regarding what legion you can join. A soldier of Saxland can at anytime sign up with a legion that may even be ran by foreign ruler. Such as General Hexilda.
With that in mind, there are no rules about who can become a member of the Legionary Council, so long as they are a citizen of the Accord and have earned their rank. Thus, in the case of General Hexilda, the Queen of the petty kingdom of Gathland; she was able to rise through the ranks to become a General of her legion.
Of course, while technically, anyone can become a general, those born into nobility or families with a military pedigree naturally have more training and higher educations that lead to them almost always taking higher ranks within the legion.
Included in the Legions (and the subsequent forces of other Accord member states) are a variety of more specialized troops that give the Accord an edge in battle. This includes the wolf riders, a specialized cavalry unit that has origins in old elven tradition but has now expanded to humans.
Every Legion is accompanied by a group of Imperial Battle Mages, trained in the art of combat. In order to prevent their own spells from hurting their comrades the Imperial Mages must be well disciplined and be level-headed in a battlefield situation.
Thus every group of experienced Imperial Mages are accompanied by a group of novice or apprentice mages; who play only a limited role in the battle, and mostly observe their elders, draw minor incantation circles, carry fragile magic supplies, and handling low priority grunt work. Through this, the novice mages become accustomed to the battlefield and are ready to be full-fledged battle mages by the time they become official battle-mages of the Legion.
In the Imperial Capital, there is a group known as the Royal Guard, a cohort of soldiers that serve as the Emperor's personal military force. However, it is well known that the loyalties of the Royal Guard are not something to be assumed. While many would die for the Emperor, many more obey the will of the Legionary Council.
There have also been whispers of strange and unnatural creatures taking form in the darkest dungeons of the Accord's capital. Could there be a military application to these beast of despair?
The Imperial Navy, is a decently sized maritime institution that is technically outside of the control of the Legionary Council. The Minister of Ships, is supposed to be the authority; however he is more of a bureaucrat that rarely leaves the Imperial court.
In practice most of the navy is watch over by the Master Admiral, along with the two Fleet Admirals. However, despite having no legal control over the navy, the Legionary Council has great influence on who rises through the ranks, and have no calms about getting the Minister of Ships to remove any who cause problems from their positions.
The Imperial Navy is funded and manned as a joint collaboration of all Accord members (much like the Legions). Some Accord kingdoms such as Saxland and Gathland own and maintain personal navies loyal to their lords and homelands, however they are small and pose no threat to the Imperial Navy.
Even the elven communities within the Accord provide some man-power or ships to the Imperial Navy, with some of the fastest ships being from the elven cities on the coast.
The navy itself is made up of two fleets, both commanded by a Fleet Admiral. These fleets are further separated into two sub-fleets, with both preforming a different objective.
The first sub-fleet is made up of warships and galleys, meant for fighting and sinking enemy ships, as well as launching bombardments against the coast. In addition most of these ships have a sizable numbers of warriors to serve as boarding parties or raiding bands against coastal targets.
The other sub-fleet is primarily focused around the transportation of troops, utilizing a variety of boat and ship types, big and small.
Saxland has offered much of its boat building expertise, providing many long boats that can carry a substantial amount of men great distances in short amounts of time; and can easily be used in rivers, lakes, and can even be picked up and carried on foot by legion soldiers.
Conversely the Imperial Navy also has access to large ships that, while slow, can carry a great number of troops, supplies, and resources to any destination along the coast.
There are a variety of private organizations within Valanor, most of them under the label of an "Order" of some kind. Separating themselves from the scientific and monastic orders are the militant knightly orders. There are many knightly orders; most being holy orders of some kind. Amongst these holy orders some have stronger connections to the Church of the One than others.
The Truelight Order: Is a knightly order based in Ivenhoe and the surrounding region. It has heavy connections with the Church of the One. They were once a more monastic order, however over the years they have become more militarized; which has changed the core tenets in various areas. The order believes that they must defend the Church of the One from outside threats, and must be the sheep-dogs of the faithful. It was once frowned upon for knights to have children or take on lovers, and while marriage itself is still not allowed, getting caught in a night of passion is no longer enough to get you removed from the order, in fact bastards are likely to be taken in and trained in the order's ways. The order was also once separated into two houses by gender, but this also has been phased out as the order has become less concerned with any duties other than getting boots on the ground, and occupying cities and regions of East Valanor.
The Order of Saint Justinian: Led by the Imperial Justicar Lady Zamoria, while technically a holy order of sorts, it holds a thin connection to the Church of the One, held only by its name and its willingness to work with other orders and the House of Arms. While other orders have a wide range of tasks and jobs, the Order of Saint Justinian focuses only on upholding a chaotic sense of "Justice" with the tracking, killing, and punishment of criminals being the Order's obsession.
The order believes that a heavy hand must be used to punish the wicked and scare the weak willed. Their code of absolute justice takes them all over the Valanor Accord and beyond, striking down lowly bandit and corrupt nobleman alike. Nobody is truly safe from the order's gaze. While the order has on occasion allowed a criminal to go free or didn't go after a noble of clergy member abusing their authority; it was only so that they may track down more criminals, collect evidence (or what little they need to act on), or otherwise position themselves to make their attempts at passing judgment go more smoothly.
They are mostly a nomadic order that travels often seeking new criminals to punish, although they do have a base at Castle Voldwen, a castle on the Ivenhoe-Hortshire border that belongs to Lady Zamoria and her family. Their members are said to ordain themselves in golden armor (although it usually little more than a dye).
The Dark Legion: A group founded by former imperial legionaries who were either disgraced, dishonored, or where removed from, resigned from, or failed to enter the Orduin Empire Legions. It took serious form a year or so before the fall of the Orduin Empire, and used the fall and the subsequent chaos to build up its power base. Serving as a mercenary band of sorts they fought in many battles, although the money was always a secondary concern; and many times they would fight with no reason at all.
They took over and renovated "The Eye" an old Imperial Fortress in the far northern regions, outside of Accord territory, as they continued to absorb many who fell or left the legion into their ranks. Eventually they began recruiting barbarians, bandits, elves, vaala, beastmen, and any others who could pass their tests.
They have no connection to the Church of the One in any form, and don't seem to hold any real doctrine beyond baptism by fire, love of war, and a desire to reform their own version the Orduin Empire into their ideal vision (A Orduin Empire large enough to influence the politics of other nations, but just enough so that other superpower nations can continuously rise up to fight them.)
The current leader of the Dark Legion has made increasing attempts to involve the order in politics, increasing its standing to be on par with that of similar knightly orders, if not out of respect, out of fear.
Notable Figures:
"Emperor" Ancel: The boy ruler of the Accord, many claim he has the blood of Imperial Royalty in his veins, although this claim was and still is dubious. He is a sheltered youth, who wishes to appease his followers but is bared from most social interaction and kept from learning how to run the empire by the powers at play around him. He enjoys the antics of court jesters and royal fools.
Prince Nero: Half-brother of Ancel, brother of Cipher; he has always looked after the young emperor, and now seeks to claim the once great Imperial Throne in his name. He is a brooding individual, who bottles up his anger and emotions for the sake of his long-term political aspirations. He understands that the Imperial Legions need the leadership of the Legionary Council if the Accord ever hopes of reviving the Orduin Empire, and thus attempts to balance working with them and against them in the political realm.
Princess Cipher: Half-sister of Ancel, sister of Nero. Known as a berserker of sorts, she is a savage warrior who revels in battle. She is deeply loyal to her brothers, believing that only she and Nero can make Ancel into the Emperor he is meant to be. She desires to drop all pretenses and simply kill all their political enemies in a ambush. However she trusts the judgment of Nero enough to not cause any political blow-back. For now.
General Glazer: Head of the 1rst Legion, and a descendent of a powerful Orduin Empire general who led his legion against the bugs during the fall of the empire; and later founded the Valanor Accord. Glazer’s father, grandfather, and great grandfather all held a position on the Legionary Council, and his pedigree is backed by his ability to lead armies. He sits as the foremost head of the Legionary Council, with the others often deferring to his judgment. Many say that he is the true leader of the Valanor Accord.
He desires to maintain control over the Accord, thus he attempts to keep Ancel out of politics so that he cannot threaten the authority of the Legionary Council before it can reunite the empire. Glazer cares little for royal blood and sees the line of Hesper as nothing more than a convenient tool to rally the legions behind.
A methodical man, he often gets upset when unexpected things occur. He has no patience for the corruption or any activity that may interfere with the Legion's goals. He believes the chaos of the land can only be quelled by the hands of a strong empire.
General Hyperion: Head of the 2nd Legion. An older woman, who has had years of experience serving in the legion. She has outlived her entire family, including her own children, thus she lives life indulgently, yet fully; enjoying as much food, sex, drink, song, and battle as she can while fighting on the front lines ready for death to claim her in battle. Much to the annoyance of her fellow generals.
General Zeal: Head of the 3rd Legion. She is an elven noble woman, who represents the elven cities that reside within Accord territory. Despite her elven heritage she is one of Ancel's greatest supporters, although she often believes only she knows what is best for the young ruler. She legitimately believes that Ancel would be better off doing whatever the Legionary Council says, and thinks Nero and Cipher are needlessly putting the boy and the Empire at risk.
General Apocrypha: Head of the 4th Legion. A man scarred by magic, and fueled by great intent. He is the subject of a botched attempt to gain immortality by a mage who visited his family’s lands. Under his mask is an odd and frightening combination of a young boy and an old man. With parts of his body having been aged back and other parts aged forward. He has an extraordinary understanding of magic for a non-mage and knows how to kill them almost as well as one born with anit-magic. Many fear him as the Valanor Reaper, while others dub him the "Mage's Bane" with all viewing him as the most brutal of the Legionary Council.
General Giaus: Head of the 5th Legion. A straightforward man, he is a very orthodox general. He has a talent for not overthinking situations and is seen as the most approachable of the Legionary Council. He is well versed in the lingo and goings on within the mercenary community, hiring many foreign soldiers, in hopes of them adding the element of the unexpected to his strategies.
General Hexilda: The new queen of the petty kingdom of Gathland and head of the 6th Legion. As a general on the Legionary council she is able to help her kingdom in many ways, while also having an easier time restocking on soldiers and supplies due to her connections. Despite having preference for her own kingdom over the rest of the Accord, she fully believes that the only way to keep her home safe is for the Orduin Empire to return, or at least for the Accord to expand into its own great power.
Prince Pureion: Prince of Gathland, brother of Hexilda. He is betrothed to Princess Cipher, but the wedding has been post-phoned due to the war. He has a very reserved attitude towards things, almost seeming rude or uncaring to some. However, deep down he does desire to be the best prince and knight he can be.
Ser Hawthorne: An honorable and courageous knight of Ivenhoe, he fights under General Apocrypha. Many have called him the greatest warrior in all the six legions. He is a tender man who truly desires to live the life of an honest knight despite the fact that the world itself seems to encourage him down the path of villainy.
Dame Alexius: A knight of Itillia, she serves General Apocrypha. She has complete and utter devotion towards the Accord’s cause; fighting with a fanatical zeal to claim the throne for Emperor Ancel. She is well liked by her troops, who find her fanatical passion to be contagious.
Luci: The leader of the Cult of Dumas. She has dug her claws into the royal court, slowly corroding the halls of great warriors and generals into a pit of despair and malice. She is slowly taking over the Accord with her followers, becoming ever more bold in her depravities.
Head of the House of Prayer. She is the foremost authority on ceremony, sermons, theological study, scholarly pursuits, and missionary efforts within the church. She is a skilled mage, and a well known intellectual within the scholarly community, with even non-believers sending for her advise on matters of science, government, history, arithmetic, theology, and philosophy.
Head of the House of Healing. His main job is overseeing all of the church's charity endeavors, alms giving, hospital construction and maintenance, organizing battlefield medical services, ensuring the protection and health of prostitutes, researching medicine and healing magic, giving food and medical treatment to the poor and crippled, opening and maintaining orphanages, and praying for the sick and poor. He is a very skilled mage who focuses on healing spells. He is also a master in all knowledge of the medical arts, both local and foreign.
Head of the House of Arms, and currently the youngest member to ever reach her position. Her main job is the organization and command of all the church's militant branches, including retinues, levies, and the army of the church. She keeps track of all Holy Orders, ensuring they are following the path of piety and righteousness. She oversees the actions of any organizations affiliated with the church, officially or unofficially; including spies, and mage-hunters. She is responsible for hunting down any users of corrupted magics, or mages who have decided to use their powers for evil. She is a very powerful energy mage, who earned her position through her strength alone.
The Leader of the Church of the One. He is both a symbol, as well as an administrator of the entire organization. While he has many ceremonial and administrative tasks, his main job is diplomacy. He not only keeps relations within and without of the church on good terms, but often attempts to intercede between other kingdoms as well. He Who Seeks also has the important duty of directing the efforts of the church over all. While ultimately he cannot be everywhere at once, and there are plenty who will outright ignore his orders; there is still significant impact on the issues he chooses to focus on, not only in the Accord, but the entirety of the faithful throughout Ishtar. He is a very talented light mage, although not as powerful as he once was in his youth. He is also a lover of games, tricks, and pranks. It is said that he obsesses over riddles and is also a fan of gambling and games of chance.
Queen Mother of the Valanor Accord. She is protective of her son, having lived through a politcal crises when her own family tore itself apart. She would rather her son live as a puppet than die attempting to take power from the Legionary Council. She puts on a show for the rest of the court, presenting herself as a cold woman who will not be trifled with.
The Imperial Chancellor and Prime Minister. He is an elderly man who has had much experience in the political realm. He is one of the few who has some amount of respect from the Legionary Council. He is often willing to speak frankly about the political situation. He once served in the Legion but gave it up for a life in politics.
The Keeper of the Imperial Seal, and Minister of Laws. A master schemer she appeared to the Imperial Court when Ancel's father was still Emperor as a mere courtier. Using her manipulations she slowly rose in prominence gaining the attention of the Legionary Council who allied with her in exchange for her own cooperation. She wants even more power, and desires to get into the Emperor's inner circle.
The Minister of Coin, and old friend of Ser Hawthorne. He is considered a no-good snake by most of his fellows in the court and isn't well liked by anyone; least of all the Legionary Council. Even still he keeps his position through his skill at stewardship, administration, and finances.
The Minister of Ships. He is an older man who is seen as a pushover by most of the Imperial Court. However, he is the one who focuses the most on his actual job and less on scheming and gaining power. Thus he has respect from those who value humility and contentment. He follows the will of the Legionary council.
The Imperial Justiciar, she is very harsh with her judgments; following a doctrine of absolute and unforgiving justice. She is a former legionnaire, who was kicked out for attacking a superior. She started up a knightly order called the Order of Saint Justinian(The Saint of Justice). Her knightly order became too big to ignore and she was made the Imperial Justiciar so the Legionary Council could keep an eye on her; being sure to neuter the authority and power of her position as much as possible.
She is currently away bringing "Order" to the frontier regions of the Accord.
The Master of the Hunt, and Master of the Horse. He is an aspiring lord from Saxland, who managed to claw his way to the capital. Despite his titles being mostly honorary ones, he takes his duties seriously. He is in charge of organizing hunts, dealing with poachers, and generally taking care of the Imperial forest as well as the horses within the capital, including that of the Emperor and the royal family. He desires a position with more political clout.
The Imperial Court Mage. He is a man with few inhibiters and is audacious in his political scheming to the point where he barely tries to hide it. He is powerful in both spells and with his words; and is one of the first to welcome the Cult of Dumas into the Imperial Court. He has a fascination for the ancient magics of Ishtar, including the magic that created the Pale.
The Minister of Agriculture, she is a reserved woman who doesn't telegraph her political agendas easily. She comes off as gentle and even docile, but she is constantly evaluating the shifting of powers within the court.
The Keeper of Swans, and Royal Custodian. She cares for the Imperial gardens, and various ceremonial task throughout the castle. She is young for her position, however that only works to her advantage, politically ruining many who underestimated her.
The Minister of Trade, he works closely with the Minister of Coin. A member of elven nobility from one of the elven cities in Ivenhoe, he is well versed in language and foreign theology. He isn't well liked by many of his fellow elves.
The Minister of War, and the Master-at-Arms. He is a loyalist to the Legionary Council, however he secretly despises them, believing they do not offer him the proper respect he deserves for his position. He joined the legion as a youth but had to quit when his father began butting heads with them in order not to be used against his family. Despite believing in the council's cause he has never forgiven the Legionary Council for what they did (even if there has been a full turn-over in leadership by now).
Archbishop of Itillia, and chaplain of the Imperial Court. He is a lover of wines and other forms of drink. He is usually a quiet figure in the court, and few know for sure where he will stand on things politically.
Royal Jester of the Imperial Court, and the Accord's Spymaster. She was an elf from one of the southern nations who made her way northward as a traveling charlatan. She doubled as an information broker and had connections everywhere. When she was imprisoned for spying on Legion strategy meetings, Ancel (mistaking her for a regular clown) appointed her his royal fool. After some time she managed to earn the tolerance of the Imperial Court and the cooperation of the Legionary Council; although she is still not well liked for her antics.
The Royal Chamberlain of the Imperial Household. She is a former handmaiden to the Queen Mother, and plans out many of the day to day activites of Ancel and the Imperial Household. She comes from outside of the Accord.
One of Ancel's attendants and a member of the Sisters of Song. She serves as an additional spymaster, and bodyguard for the young Emperor.
A knight of Hortshire, and a member of the Royal Guard. He is distant and quiet, leaving many to suspect his loyalties. Some say he is actually the Emperor's jailer.
Mother of Nero and Cipher. She was the former Emperor's lover but the Legionary Council at the time prevented them from marrying, and later commanded she be set aside for the more strategic marriage to Lady Selene.
Long ago the northern beastmen began the formation of a great host to march southward. Sharing these frigid lands with the beasts were various tribes, clans, and chiefdoms populated with hardy human-folk. Throughout the years, since the time of even the first incursion; the wild-men of the far north would formulate an alliance to fight off the beastmen threat, failing utterly most of the time; but by banning together they were never wiped out completely. However, they were slowly but surely pushed out of the northern lands with every defeat sending them further south.
In 1901 the beastmen began another great incursion southward. The men of the north followed suit and formed their usual alliance, at this point they had already established a vast history of allying together, acting as a sort of proto-confederation of sorts. However, it would take one final push to bring them together in an official capacity.
This was the greatest horde yet, and it was the final push. Fighting went on for two long years, during which countless chiefdoms, clans, and tribes were wiped out completely; their tales lost to the whimpers of time. The northmen had no choice but to flee all the way south to the lands of Ishtar.
In 1903, the beastmen descended onto the Orduin Empire, and the rest of Ishtar from the north. Before the horde’s arrival, imperial scouts also had reports of a large nomadic warband making their way across the Empire’s northern border. The arrival of the beastmen quickly overshadowed these concerns.
The barbarians were at this point little more than glorified refugees, they spent the next 10 years wandering northern Ishtar, raiding, farming, and the odd mercenary work as they roamed the hills, earning themselves the name “The Tribes of the Roaming Hills”.
While this was happening, peasants, noblemen, and soldiers alike felt threatened by this large force of what was essentially the entire population of a displaced region dropped smack dab in the middle of Imperial territory. Many hostilities had already transpired, and the people of the Roaming Hills were dying of starvation and illness rather than the way of blades; yet not fast enough for them to be a problem that could be ignored.
In the year 1913, a deal was struck between the Emperor and the chieftains of the Roaming Hills. Knowing of their experience fighting the beastmen, he gifted them the regions on the Empire’s northern most boarder. The very region under the most threat by the beastmen. Most of the farmers and tribes local to the region had either fled, were killed by beastmen warriors, or were so few in number they were simply absorbed into the Roaming Hills community.
As part of the deal, the warriors of the Roaming Hills pledged themselves to the Orduin Empire, serving as auxiliares in the Imperial Legion. And playing a crucial role in the defense of the northern border, in which they would lose, retake, and lose again in a seemingly endless bloody conflict that lasted for almost 200 years.
Throughout these years of service, many attempts had been made to “uplift” the people of the Roaming Hills, however the constant assaults by the beastmen left few chances to build anything long lasting. Even so other tribes and pockets of those considered “uncivilized” company began making their way towards the roaming hills in search of promised free land, including elven-folk who had lost their homes to political strife and warfare long ago, or otherwise belonged to a more savage elven communes which struggled to conduct themselves in polite society.
Whatever the case, whenever civilization began to properly take root, a beastman assault would occur and subsequently set back all progress that had been made. The people of the Roaming-Hills began focusing harder on small nomadic communities and clans that could easily flee from beastmen attacks and return after they left. Many within the Roaming-Hills began resenting their Imperial overlords, feeling that they were being used as a sacrificial bufferzone to hold off beastmen attacks, among other disputes, such as perceived weakness of the Empire’s people. For now this resentment was held in check.
In the year 2103, General Keppin of the Imperial Legion began to gather up his force of five legions. One of the first groups approached were the tribes of the Roaming Hills, at this point well known for their endless feud with the beastmen.
The barbarians played a key role in the legion’s strategies serving as vanguard or shock-trooper units. With many of the chieftains and famous warriors laying down their lives in the subsequent battles against the northern horde.
This came to a head in the year 2107 when General Keppin lead his forces into beastmen territory, the original home of the roaming hills people. They managed to finally obtain victory over their ancient foe. However most of the Roaming-Hills warriors were part of the 2 lost legions, leading to huge portions of the adult population being wiped out. Those warriors who returned festered in them a reinvigorated resentment of their Imperial masters.
Some thought the tribes would return north, but after years of living in Imperial territory as well as the addition of new southern-blood kin, they no longer associated the northern lands as anything but an ancient home of ancestors from so long ago that they held little in common.
It was now the year 2108 and for a time there was some matter of peace. This is considered the cultural renaissance of the Roaming-Hills, as they told stories of their exploits during the beastmen wars and ages past.
It was at this time that many of the tribes as they are known today established themselves amongst their peers. The barbarians continued to join the Imperial Legions and pay tributes to the regional governors of the empire. This would be the most traditionally civilized the tribes would become, with some considering this the golden age of the Roaming Hills, while others felt it was an era of humiliation and degradation as the culture of the empire began eating away at old traditions, many tribes began turning on each other in small scale conflicts and the people of the Roaming Hills were no longer considered as the great warriors of days past but just another backwater people who could barely pay taxes and supply crops to their intellectual betters.
Hostilities with Orduin citizens, farmers, and nobility began to crop up more and more causing the anti-empire sentiment to spread. In addition the farmland in the northern region was ruff and difficult to tend. Hunting and fishing were also very limited, and the mines were already owned by others loyal to the empire. Still, at this time the tribes were able to enjoy some years of autonomy that was highly valued by the people.
In the year 2243 hostility between the roaming hills and Imperial Governor Asterhall, the man who presided over that portion of the frontier region erupted. Clan Breakbone, a large clan which hailed from one of the greater tribes broke away and began raiding southward, pillaging a number of farmsteads, homes, and small villages; calling like minded men and women to their cause as they went. They even ended up recruiting a large group of desert bandits from the Petty Kingdom of Ivenhoe, along with members of the Dancing Blades, a militant group of elven extremists who felt their kind were oppressed by the humans of the empire.
Having increased their numbers, clan Breakbone and their followers, split into two forces. One was sent to seize the mines, the economic heart of the region. The other made their way to the local governor’s villa, hoping to capture him and his family; along with any other important officials at the time.
The governor was warned ahead of time by informats within the tribes. He ended up abandoning the mines, calling all his troops to defend his villa. Using his forces strategically he managed to lure all the attacking forces into the villa before laying siege to his own home, trapping the attackers inside and wiping nearly all of them out. Any captured alive were executed publicly within the next few days.
He then reached out to his son, a prominent member of the Imperial Legion at the time, who arrived with a sizable force. Together they retook the mines, killing and capturing any of the remaining ring leaders. However it is said that remnants of the Breakbone rebellion survived and would reorganize in secret.
By the year 2244, the governor, rather than attempt to ease hostilities, held the entirety of the Roaming-Hills responsible for the insurrection (never mind the fact that many of his own soldiers who fought against the rebels were auxiliares from the region). He began passing policy that stripped away the autonomy of the Roaming-Hills, slowly but surely putting them under his thumb; while instituting schools of “cultural thought” a type of mandatory boarding school that youths would have to live full time, particularly younger children who didn’t have to help with farm work. These schools were presented as free education for the children of the tribes but were actually glorified prisons whose only real purpose was filling the youth’s heads with propaganda and hatred for their own people.
In the year 2248 the tribes of the roaming hills; who for years already served as a type of proto-confederation, tightened their bonds by forming a proper and legally organized moot (rather than the off the record ones they had held for years). They formulated a council of chiefs and shamans, pushing back politically against the governor.
Even within the halls of the imperial court they had supporters. With imperial officials coming out to speak and advise this council on their political endeavors. Clergymen from all the major faiths in the empire also lent their support, with local priests and abbots belonging to converted tribes even getting seats on the council.
They were able to fight back against the governor’s top-down policies, repurposed the schools of “cultural thought” for actual education (something that even many imperial villages didn’t have), and organize their own militias, rather than be at the mercy of the governors forces.
In the year 2260 the situation took a major downturn. Back at the Imperial court, the party in which Governor Asterhall belonged to had outmaneuvered their opposition; granting increased authority to the centralized government and overruling countless local government policies that the Roaming-Hills relied on to maintain their independence. Undoing years of work.
The tribes declared that they would actively and knowingly disregard the policies passed by the senate and the regional governor; claiming they showed obvious favoritism towards the more highly populated and Imperialized parts of the empire.
In response Governor Asterhall, now an old-man, led his forces into the tribal regions with the intent of arresting the council and enforcing their laws upon the people. The council of chiefs and shaman convinced themselves to make one last attempt at a peaceful resolution; however this did not prevent most of the chiefs from preparing their warriors for war.
A delegation made up of the most diplomatic of the chieftains, shaman, clergy, and what few imperial officials still stuck their necks out for the tribes, met the governor’s forces halfway. Negotiations began going south quickly, with the only form of compromise the governor offered being a different form of surrender. He then attempted to have the entire delegation arrested, but was betrayed by his own soldiers. Many in the governor's forces were auxiliaries from the roaming-hills and while they stood aside before, all it took was a handful of soldiers refusing to cause mass defection within his ranks.
However, not all the soldiers were from the roaming-hills and even amongst those who were there were many who chose to stay loyal to Governor Asterhall. A battle erupted and many of the peace delegation were killed, along with Governor Asterhall himself, stabbed to death by a mysterious elven girl disguised as a servant. Later it would become known that this girl was a descendent of the Breakbone Rebellion remnants, who combined with the Dancing Blades, as well as the Ivenhoe bandits and other sympathizers who joined them years prior to form the new Clan Breakblade.
After the carnage was over, the survivors of both sides of the mutiny retreated back to their respective sides. For the tribes it was a sign that the matter would not be solved peacefully. For many Imperials it was confirmation that the roaming-hills was a threat to the Orduin Empire. But both sides understood that conflict was inevitable.
Near the end of the year, the tribes declared that until power was returned to the hands of local leaders they would be declaring their independence from the regional government (and by extension the Orduin Empire.) The Council of Chiefs and Shaman was reorganized into the great tribal confederation of the Roaming-Hills, and the Tribes of the Roaming Hills became an official power in the land.
In the years 2261-2270 the region entered a time of conflict, later known as the Roaming Hills secession crisis. One by one the more moderate members of the confederation died in battle, and more extreme clans such as Clan Breakblade (who had rejoined the Roaming Hills shortly after the war began) began holding more and more influence amongst the people.
The semblance of civilization that had formed during the “Golden Age'' quickly melted away, and as the tribes got more desperate their tactics became more gruesome. The title of regional governor became a rotating door of assassination, with even the late governor Asterhall’s son (who had aided in ending the Breakbone rebellion) finding himself ambushed and killed while on his way to the capital to request aid from his old legion.
Both sides committed untold atrocities, and rather than the conflict causing them to grow adverse to warfare, it made them commit to win even more. Some of the Imperials burned down churches and temples filled with people. Some of the Roaming-Hills turned to the dark blood-magic of the old ways; sacrificing the elderly, and the crippled for power; while raiding and ravishing innocent imperial farmers and citizens across the land.
In the year 2270, an organized, and well supplied Legion was dispatched to finally bring an end to the conflict. The already battered and fatigued Roaming-Hills tribesmen could do little against the fresh forces of the Imperial Legion.
As one by one tribes were eliminated by the Empire’s might the chieftains of the tribes found themselves split into two opinions. One side wished to stand and fight, believing that they could easily beat those they perceived as weak cowards, or at the very least felt an honorable death was better than retreat or surrender.
The other group decided that the only way for the confederation to survive was for them to flee. To return to the nomadic lifestyle of their ancestors, and create a new life on the road. In the end the confederation broke into two, and while those who stayed behind (whatever their intentions) were almost completely wiped out, it was their sacrifice that allowed for the other half to flee the lands, heading far into the west towards open land.
The time had come for the Tribes of the Roaming-Hills to roam once more.
From the year 2271-2299 the tribes of the Roaming-Hills became a nomadic people that wandered from place to place. The combined stresses of war, desperation, and a declining population (both from deaths as well as defections) drove the tribes to follow the old ways of strength and plunder. They began raiding villages in the north western region, slowly mastering the art of raiding, extortion, and the life of a truly nomadic warrior culture.
By the year 2300 they had come into their own and moved southward, becoming adventurers, mercenaries, and were paid a “protection” tribute by any who feared them, including nobility. Those who were unwilling or unable to pay such tributes would often find themselves set upon as the next target for raiding.
While they were nomadic and some owned horses they were not exactly horse-fairing people, which caused them to move slower across Ishtar than similar cultures may have. They relied heavily on specialized and honored scouts who would be almost always on the move, to keep them informed about troop movements, and the goings on throughout the land; political or otherwise.
By the year 2400 the Tribes of the Roaming Hills were a well known warband of marauders, mercenaries, and savages who reveled in combat, pillaging, and indulgent festivities. They involved themselves in countless minor conflicts across Ishtar, coming to the aid of sides that were almost guaranteed to lose, changing the political makeup of everyplace they left on the whims of the chief-moot.
They thought nothing of what became of the places they left behind, only concerning themselves with the next big payout, battle, or feast. By now countless like minded people across Ishtar joined up with them, including bandits, deserters, mercenaries without work or a company, and other undesirables who needed a place to go. These people, camp followers and fellow warriors alike were labeled clanless, and did not have the same legal protection within the confederation as those belonging to a clan did.
In the year 2423, the bug invasion of the “Great Swarm” began. The Roaming-Hill Tribes were south at the time, laying siege to the castle of Gunger; home of a southern lord who had made powerful enemies in the Imperial Court. These enemies offered the Roaming-Hills a generous amount to make the lord of Gunger’s life a living hell. They were five days into the siege, and both sides were caught completely off-guard when an endless swarm of bug-like creatures they had never seen before came crawling from the rear of the Roaming Hill forces.
The warriors of the tribe immediately began attacking the bug creatures, leading to a three way fight that ended with the castle getting taken by the bugs, and many of the Roaming Hill warriors being slain in battle.
As a nomadic people with no castle to retreat to, the rest of the barbarians who were camped nearby (children, elderly, slaves, injured, and other non-warriors) were seen as soldiers who had refused to retreat to their nest by the swarm, and were set upon.
Those who fought were killed, those who fled, hid, or begged were captured and divvied out to fates unknown.
This day would go down as the “Tragedy of Gunger” and it was only the beginning. For the first time in years, since the initial end of the Secession Crisis of 2270, the people of the Roaming-Hills were once again forced to flee.
For days as the Roaming-Hills fled their population was slowly picked off, killed or captured by the forces of the swarm.
By the time all was said and done in the year 2424 when the Orduin Empire finally fell, the Roaming-Hills had lost nearly half of their population.
Things were looking bad, but the moot came together and by the time the united counter attack began in the year 2425, the tribes of the Roaming-Hills had already began their fight, killing scores of bugs before the counter attack had even officially begun.
The Tribes of the Roaming Hills kept up the onslaught against the bugs until the year 2430. Having their fill of vengeance and becoming concerned about the growing changes to Ishtar’s political structure they set out to find new lands to raid and battles to fight.
From 2431-2621 the Roaming Hill tribes had gotten involved in countless battles and wars within the various developing nations. They enjoyed many victories, offering their services to any who could pay for them, and raiding any who could not; sometimes both.
In the year 2622, the Roaming Hill Tribes were contacted by members of the Duchy of East Orduin, an alliance of nobility who descended from members of the former Imperial Senate, and other noble families of the old empire. The so called ArchDuke of the alliance was one of many who claimed to have royal blood in his veins, and he might have been right.
The Duchy of East Orduin was locked in a constant brutal struggle with the forces of the Valanor Accord to the north as well as border hostilities with the Great Shi in the south. They had rich, fertile lands, access to one of the great lakes of Ishtar, and were seated within the halls of the former Imperial Capital, giving them the most legitimacy to any who cared for such matters; along with the infrastructure of a colossus city in which many raw materials could be produced into various goods. However, while the Duchy did have some decently trained soldiers who fancied themselves legionnaires, along with a sizable pool of levies to draw from; it mostly relied on mercenaries. They hired folk from every corner of Ishtar, even the beetles from the bug lands of the far south.
With a major company of mercenaries abandoning their contract after suffering heavy losses, the Duchy required a force to make up the difference and then some. Many knew of the Free-Roamers and their reputation; thus a messenger was dispatched, inviting the barbarians to the capital.
Unfortunately for the ArchDuke, he had not predicted the nature of newly proclaimed High Chief Ralof, who had much greater aspirations than being a lowly Warlord for hire. The former Imperial Capital would be pillaged for a second time since the age of chaos began.
Culture:
The people of the Roaming-Hills live a hard life, where you are just as likely to die by the hands of a fellow barbarian than an enemy blade. Throughout their history, the more people described them as barbarians the more they felt inclined to live the greatest personification of the barbarian life that they could muster. Sex, violence, slavery, kidnapping, and even death (so long as it only happens to the right people) are treated casually by the men and women of the tribes. Of course with everything there are exceptions that only become noticeable at a later time.
Clan Affiliation: All legitimate members of the Roaming Hill Tribes belong to a subset of people called a clan. Those who did not belong to a clan or were kicked out of their clan are labeled clanless, and while a clanless person may be allowed to follow the tribes on their escapades and fight beside them in battle, they do not hold the same legal protection, nor rights, as a full-fledged clan member.
There are three ways to be accepted into a clan. Most people are born into the clan they belong to with little fan-fair. Others end up marrying in; as the clanless spouse (not to be confused with concubine or slave) take on the clan name of whichever belongs to a clan (male or female). In cases where both spouses belong to a clan the more prestigious clan will usually win out, although it is technically left up to the choice of the bride and groom. Lastly it is possible for the clan leader to declare their patronage, or for patronage to be requested by any clanless person warrior or no. There is no legal binding preventing someone from inviting a clanless into their clan (however that does not mean there are no consequences in practice).
Religion:
The Faith of the One has found their influence slowly growing amongst member tribes of the coalition.
Similar to the faith of the Church of the One, Zentarism has surprisingly taken roots within a small subset of clans and tribes.
While many aspects of these nomadic people’s culture have not survived the hardships of time, this ancient way of life has persisted. Rooted in old wisdom, it’s followers look upon the natural world for strength, wisdom, and guidance, even so there are two distinct ways in which practice of this ancient religion will manifest.
The way of Solas: This is the path of being intune with nature, honoring one's ancestors and respecting the land which keeps one fed. Followers of this path will often be seen engaging in forms of meditation, spirit dancing, and even the occasional pilgrimage out into the remote wilderness.
The way of Dorcha: This is the path of paying tribute to the earth, often in blood. Followers of this path are no strangers to blood offerings, ritualistic dismemberment, self mutilation, and if rumors are to be believed... witchcraft.
Government:
The Tribes of the Roaming Hills are lead by the High-Chief, who is often selected from among the Chieftains present at a Chief-moot. While the High-Chief holds the power to command the forces of the Roaming Hills and dictate their collective military actions, raiding, and foreign activities, a great deal of domestic law is still handled on a tribe by tribe basis… at least for now.
As things stand the Roaming Hills are currently being led by High-Chief Ralof of the Shiverbone tribe who has taken up residence in the newly conquered capital city.
Economy:
The Tribes of the Roaming Hills, makes a good portion of their income from raiding and pillaging.
That being said, there are many among them and those they conquer who are proficient farmers, craftsmen, and traders.
On top of the barbarians who currently run the region, former imperial citizens living in and around the capital contribute to the economy of this young power. This includes the sprawling Imperial capital, which holds countless shops and businesses that provide the infrastructure to take raw materials and make processed goods.
With all these factors in mind the land produces wheat, oats, barley, wine from old Imperial vineyards, livestock such as pigs and chickens, game, leather, pottery, lumber, both salt and freshwater fish from the lake and sea respectively, textiles, processed wood and boards, along with a variety of luxury goods such as silks, dyes, fine clothes, jewelry, embroidery, tapestry, leather work, and some metal work.
Military:
The barbarians of the Roaming Hills have a very simplistic style of military organization. Each chieftain commands their own force, and the High Chief commands the chieftains, (along with his or her own tribe of course).
Likewise the clan leaders serve as sub-commanders to the chieftains, although there is more wiggle room in this regard.
RP Characters
High Chief Ralof: The current High Chief of the Roaming Hills, as well as Chief of "Shiverbone" tribe. A powerful and bombastic leader, yet behind this simple barbarian is a conniving mind.
Thernald: Elder brother of High Chief Ralof, unwilling or unable to compete with his younger brother, he has voluntarily taken up a subordinate role. Often considered the more honorable of the two.
Brikeasil: Eldest daughter of High Chief Ralof, Brikeasil is as powerful and bombastic as her father, and while dangerously arrogant at times, she is ultimately a warrior of honor.
Vae: The middle daughter of High Chief Ralof, inheriting a mind just as cunning as her father's Vae is something of a de facto leader for the trio of half-sisters.
Thrie: The youngest of the three, Thrie is not as cunning or as powerful as her two older sisters, but she makes up for it with her raw ferocity and determination.
Airis Vallie: The former betrothed of the late Arch Duke of the Duchy of East Orduin, now just another prisoner after High Chief Ralof and his horde seized and plundered the former Imperial city.
It is whispered that she has ties to the Hesper bloodline, it is likely that the late Arch Duke sought to marry her to further legitimize his own claims of royal linage.
Esild: Current lover of High Chief Ralof, member of the "Shiverbone" tribe.
A large brutal warrior, and head enforcer for High Chief Ralof, although it is said his conversations with Thernald could be tempering him.. He is a member of the "Shiverbone" tribe.
Loyal and pragmatic, Urikor is a well reagrded warrior among the "Shiverbone" tribe. He is the older brother of Dakor.
Urikor's wife, Brella is a former bandit hailing from Wisserland. Through marriage to Urikor she is now a member of the "Shiverbone" tribe.
Lucidia: An ancient Witch of the woods, practitioner of the Old Ways and keeper of tales and secrets.
Aurkon: Chief of the "Spleen Eaters" a brutal cannibalistic tribe which often engages in the way of Dorcha.
Sìle: Daughter of Chief Aurkon, her small frame hides a large appetite.
Hrovrak: Son of Chief Aurkon, it is said that Aurkon's tribe offered up Hrovrak's mind in return for a stronger body.
These characters will be added in as they make appearances within the RP section.
A theocratic republic based on the island of Caslan
Is ruled by the Kerks, a barbarian people who settled and conquered the island
Has a large native beastfolk population, with a significant human and elven minority
Is a home of a necromantic faith and its practitioners, called Gyloism
Is a fairly isolated state, although it had larger ambitions to become a power on the eastern coasts
Is ruled by a powerful and immortal lich scholar and his clan
They speak and write in Kerkian and Caslandic
A person from Caslan is called a Caslanian
Population - 2.4 Million
Manpower - 120,000
Wealth - Moderate
Espionage - Moderate
Races
Kerkians Kerkians are a race of humanoids which highly resemble humans in many ways, being around the same height, lifespan, and shape of human beings but with some small physical differences. Kerks tend to be entirely light-olive skinned, Kerks have sunken in eyes and large noses. Kerks differ in major ways from humans in other ways, their most known features being the fact they breed in litters of children at a time, and are fiercely aggressive. Kerks are known to be unbreakable in their pursuits and violent swings of rage, often lacking in self preservation. Instead, most kerks act for the good of a group or family, and will give their own lives to save friends and family, making them by nature deeply loyal as much as vengeful. Kerks also are partly immune to disease, in which they will regurgitate diseases from their bodies by vomiting, as their bodies aggressively expunge any foreign element from their bodies. This also applies to medicine, making Kerks capable of both surviving diseases that would kill any normal person but also being near impossible to heal from diseases which affect them.
There are 3 major Kerkian cultures on Caslan; The Coladdic, Geuderian, and Landarric. Coladdic Kerks come from the original tribe of kerks who convinced their people to cross the sea to Caslan, a deeply religious and conservative clan which looks down on the others kerks as inferior. The Geuderians are a rival clan to the Coladdic which settles the north side of the isle, a clan known for its political and warrior traditions and have a deep feud with the Coladdic. The Landarric are Kerks which settled the southern isle, primarily a culture which infused itself with trade and separated itself from the feuding clans, and often intermingled with other cultures.
Okan Okan are a Beastfolk who are native to Caslan, a mustelid race which resemble river otters. Standing around 5-6 ft tall on average, they have large tails which helps them balance when swimming, and their fur colors usually range between light grey to dark brown. Okan are natural born swimmers, although they must be taught to do so and can ‘glide’ in the water itself. Okan fur is very dense, allowing them to swim the cold waters of their homeland with little difficulty. Okan are by their nature very social and familial creatures who aggressively defend their families and homes, but are also outwardly friendly and curious.
Ulkad - Oldest known Okan culture which primarily lives in the north-west of Caslan, the Ulkad are deeply conservative and spiritual people who view themselves as the original Okan culture, and look down on other Okan for not keeping to their old ways.
Norad - A north-east Okan culture which lives entirely on the coast and sea. The Norad are semi-nomadic hunters, known for their autonomy and very loose clans. Norad are deeply conservative, but in their own way, and are deeply distrustful of outsiders.
Midad - A central culture of Okan who fled into the highlands and southern mountain rivers. The Midad are fiercely independent, and are also very isolationist and generally do not like other Okan intruding on their customs and territory. While their attitudes generally come off as xenophobic, most prefer to be left alone.
Soukad - Southern most Okan whose culture is based primarily on their naval craft and trading with other Okan, which evolved into a general mercantile culture. Soukad revolves around sailing and trade.
Tannad - A western Okan culture closely related to both the Soukad and Ulkad. Tannad are coastal people, who are deeply religious but also infused with their craftsmanship and trade, being considered industrious.
Beurians Beurians are a large ursine Beastfolk race native to Caslan, who resemble a mix between bears and wolverines. With short tails, normally hunched backs, large arms and short legs, Beurians are a slow but very strong people. Beurians stand around 7-8 feet tall on average, their size often matches their absurd strength, easily being able to rip limbs from their enemies. Beurians are normally nomadic by nature, and are fiercely solitary and territorial. Beurians tend to have a wide range of fur colors of brown, black, white, and gray.
Beurians would often claim their different clans represent their differing cultures, although this is not true. Most Beurian clans have the same customs, their feuds and traditions are entirely clan based rather than cultural. The biggest divide in culture is between the clans which continue their nomadic lifestyle and those who ended up being forced into being settled as slave laborers of the Kerks, who adopted the Kerkian lifestyles.
Minorities
Havaki (Elven) - The Havaki are an high elven culture which fled to Caslan and settled and attempted to invade through the north. Although they failed, the Havaki were ultimately allowed to settle and become a powerful minority in northern Caslan and are deeply rooted in Kerkian culture, although most have kept some parts of their old customs.
Umperai (Human) - A southern human culture which descends from the Orduin empire, a once mainland human culture which moved into Southern Caslan as refugees and adopted their own culture and customs. While very separate from the Kerks, they are a small and influential minority whose customs, beliefs, and expertise have mixed into southern Caslan over its many years
Lun’Kerk - Lun’Kerks are half-breeds between humans and elves with the kerks themselves. Lun’Kerks tend to share most of the traits of humans and elves, with some small but key differences. Lun’kerks generally share partial physical features such as partly sunken in eyes, have violent mood swings, and generally have some strong resistance to diseases. Lun’kerk lineage is considerably strange, as eventually Lun’kerks will eventually phase out the more they marry into non-kerk bloodlines, but do not become more Kerkian the more they marry into Kerkian families. While tolerated by non-Kerks, Kerkian view Lun’Kerks as abominations and deeply distrust them.
History
The Lost Era (0-777) Not much is known of the Beastfolk, let alone of the histories which proceed the first united kingdoms and tribes of Caslan. What is known is that the first kingdoms of Caslan were normally peaceful Okan kingdoms in coastal mottes and baileys, living in small earthwork settlements, with the Beurians living the middle hills and inland forests and semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers. The Okan, presumably more civilized, built the first lasting kingdoms, and discovered or traded along weak trade routes. The island was undeveloped and had its own religion, institutions, and generally was regarded with disinterest due to having supposedly few if any resources worth developing.
Beurian Kingdom (778-910) In 778, a powerful Beurian warchief named Gasglof the Black had united the Beurian tribes into a singular entity through marriage, displays of strength, and blackmail. Gasglof, who had been envious of the Okan coastal settlements, their metal working, and their wealth decided to invade. In the 30 year long war, Gasglof achieved many victories and subjected the Okan kingdoms into a singular tribal kingdom under his rule. Rather than simply taking over the settlements, Gasglof and his descendents had their people learn metalworking for themselves and acted as a guard force in which the Okan kingdoms paid tribute to. The system eventually began to fall apart due to a lack of threats to the isle, resulting in severe corruption and discontentment, and that Gasglof ultimately failed to build his own capital settlement and have his people settle down.
Okan Sessessions (911-988) Starting in 911, the Okan city of Astar revolted in a general rebellion against the Beurian kingdom. Although greatly outmatched and outnumbered, the Astaran Okan were able to bog down their enemies in ambushes, using a mixture of magic of hydromancery to their great advantage. The Okan king and legendary lord Ostof the Bog King of Astar defeated the Beurian forces and earned his kingdom’s independence. Okan city states across Caslan soon followed suit, with the last kingdom falling from Beurian control in 978. Although the war was a success to the Okan, the personal feud between Okan and Beurians during the war grew significantly and would come to haunt them in the next crises which soon followed.
The Kerkian Exodus (989-1023) In 989, the Kerks came across the sea and began landing in Caslan under King Diov Geuder. Where the Kerks came from is unknown, but they landed on the eastern shores and came in droves, likely as refugees. The Kerks began settling the east, and came into contact with the Okan who tried to drive them from their lands. The Kerks fought back with brutality, enslaving the survivors, and took over the kingdom with superior weaponry, magic, and tactical skill. The Kerks were soon joined by their ancient priesthood, in which Diov Geuder bowed on the docks of his new conquered fiefdom to the lich Mel Coldfinger, who had brought the Coldfinger priesthood with him. The Coldfinger clan and its priesthood took the reigns of Diov’s warlord state and settled the eastern lands, with Mel establishing a temporary state for which he was sole ruler, much to Diov’s annoyance. Mel spent much of the years fighting back counter invasions and helping to settle the Kerks who were arriving on shores, the last ships not arriving till 1023.
Caslan Delenda Est (1024-1066) Mel and Diov were both ambitious and skilled warlords in their own right, but they were faced with a huge and dangerous coalition of Okan states who wished to see them gone. Mel Coldfinger went to the Beurian tribes, using his magic to charm their leaders into serving the Kerks and used his legendary charisma to reignite the tribes’ hatred of the Okan. The Kerks then launched a campaign whose sole purpose was to utterly destroy the Okan kingdoms, giving them only the choice of surrender or utter destruction. While at first ignoring such threats, the combined Kerkian forces, Mel’s magic, and Beurian allies soon began to gobble up Okan cities one by one. True to their word, the Kerks butchered these cities, only sparing a fraction of survivors as slaves to serve as examples. The Okan were eventually defeated during the Battle of Faltzak, where the entire coalition army was ambushed by Diov and some Beurian tribes and were decimated. Mel’s cruelty was legendary, having the survivors charmed in front of a horrified coalition stronghold and had them walk off cliffs until the city surrendered. The last Okan city would not surrender till 1066.
Founding of the Kycer (1067) The war for Caslan was brutal and costly, but the Kerkian victory came with both boons and problems alike. While Diov expected to be made a king of the Kerks for his efforts, he was instead shocked and horrified when Mel Coldfinger and his priest re-established the ancient Kerkian theocratic republic known as the Kycer. Diov threatened civil war, but was approached by the priesthood with an offer to give him a powerful role in the new Kycer as a founder of its new institutions. Diov and Mel gathered the priesthood in Astar, where they laid the foundations of this new Kerkian society, the rules of their senate, the rituals of their religion, and the fate of the Beastfolk thralls beneath them. The first elections were held that year, which surprised their new subjects when both free and slave were allowed to vote in the new priesthood. The Kycer’s founding celebrations lasted for over a month, with the Kerks settling down in their new home.
The Cold Age (1068-1109) The years after and Kycer’s founding and before the coming of the elves was known as the Cold Age, which was marked by years of unrest in Caslan as well as the shaky foundations of the Kycer. The Kerks spent much of the age putting down Okan rebellions and taming the Beurians, forcing them into their society with increasing cruelty and ruthlessness. Mel and his cadre of priests stayed on the island in these years, primarily converting the natives to their faith and overseeing the construction of the first Tomb Cities. This misery of the Beastfolk ended rather suddenly and prematurely, as the Kerks began to slowly return to their spiteful feuds towards one another rather then spend their time putting the Beastfolk down, with many of the Beastfolk often taking different sides for their own survival and to return to their old social positions in some capacity. By 1109, the Kerks were permanently settled in, and spread across the entire isle.
The Elven Raids (1110-1134) Starting in 1110, a group of elven raiders from Navarros had discovered the isle during the midst of the Pinnacle War, under the direction of an elven chieftain named Gazhain. Gazhain and his raiders had come to loot the island for the war effort, and to bring back slaves to enrich himself and his family. However, what he found on the isle surprised him, as the Kerks soon found themselves fighting the elves, and miserably failing against them. While unable to enslave the Kerks, Gazhain and his raiders were finding stashes of arcane knowledge, tomes of magic, and a lot more loot then the sea raider expected to find. The elves returned seasonally from there on, brutally raiding the island and its western settlements which only intensified in 1130 when the elves soon began threatening larger settlements and walled towns.
The Elven Invasion (1135-1172) Gazhain and his son Dezhain had become influential enough to earn a major mission from their overlords, who wished to send them out to conquer the neutral territory of Caslan during the midst of the war to establish a naval outpost and port. Gazhain gathered a large number of mercenaries, sea raiders, and his entire tribe to this mission and set off for the campaign. When the elves arrived, they expected an easy fight against the scattered Kerkian forces, and were soon laying siege to most western settlements on Caslan’s coast. However, the sieges stalled due to the Kerks refusal of surrender, which gave time for Mel Coldfinger and the other Zupans to gather a large enough force to fight Gazhain and his armies. The long and drawn out conflict often resulted in Gazhain’s own tactical skills, as well as him avoiding the lich as much as he could, causing untold destruction to the isle with elven and kerk magic. The war would not reach its conclusion until 1173.
Battle of Light and Shadow (1173) During the siege of Kel Dargath, the elves were able to capture the settlement but were held down by a Kerkian army. Gazhain was trapped in the settlement, but his son Dezhain was out in the field and was returning to relieve the siege. However, on the way the elven warrior spotted Mel Coldfinger’s smaller army, and it was decided to end the conflict in a risky ambush to slay the lich. Dezhain and his elite force ambushed the lich and his guards on the coast, and was quickly slaughtering Mel’s guards. Mel used his magic to freeze a part of the coastal waters and retreated onto the ice itself, in which Dezhain and his soldiers followed. Dezhain and Mel duelled on the ice for hours, but the Lich coaxed his powerful adversary further onto the ice sheet. Confident of victory, Dezhain surrounded Mel and the remaining Kerks, desperately trying to slay the lich whom they were winning against. Mel then raised the dead of the slain kerks on the beaches where he was ambushed, raising an entire division which surrounded the elves on both sides. Dezhain and the remaining elven soldiers were surrounded and killed, with Mel delivering the final flow against Dezhain. Mel and his armies then marched to Kel Dargath and defeated Gazhain, and finally putting an end to the elven invasion.
The Great Rebuilding (1174-1233) The defeat of the elves was shocking, with the elves having had brought along many peoples under the expectation of victory against the Kerks, but instead were now their prisoners. Mel showed mercy and compassion to these elves, allowing them to stay on Caslan if they converted to his faith and integrated into the Kycer. Most elves agreed, with those who didn’t being allowed to return home. The elves had brought with them much expertise which the Kerks had generally been missing, with elven architects helping to rebuild the destroyed town and cities, refurbishing old tribal holdings, and establishing new schools of magic much to the scholar lich’s delight. The war had also taught the kerks a valuable lesson in warfare, with Gazhain’s former captains being key reformers in the restructure of the kerkian army. The Kycer would continue to rebuild and reform until the later year of 1233, where Caslan was not only rebuilt, but progressed into a stronger nation.
Travels of the Red Merchant (1234-1246) Caslan retained its neutrality for many more years, mostly trading at first with Navarros, but it increasingly became a popular port for Orduin. An Orduin merchant by name of Kance Olstar traveled to the isle, not only to trade but to record and report. Kance and his close companions traveled across Caslan, their interviews with the Kerkian priesthood, necromancers, zupans, and the native beastfolk built an insightful journal. Kance had even been able to interview the lich Mel Coldfinger, and was present during a session of the Caslan senate where Mel declared to the assembly where he planned during the times of peace on Caslan to go out and collect books of knowledge. Kance would return to Orduin in 1244, where his presented works brought attention to Caslan.
Port Pact of Caslan (1247-1253) Before Mel set off on his own journeys, a leader of Orduin came to Caslan with an offer to the Kycer in a meeting in Astar. During the Orduin civil war, Orduin approached the Kerks with a port treaty, wishing to build a naval base and dockyard in Caslan in return for large payments and profitable trading pacts. Mel agreed to the pact, and so did the priesthood. The port treaty brought a great deal of trade and immigration to the isle, primarily humans who settled the port and parts of the southern settlements. This intermingling was seen with increasing suspicion by the Kycer, but the development of kerkian politics resulted in many troubles to be ignored. This corruption would not become known until 1254, as Kerkian politics soon got distracted with personal clan feuds and small political disruptions.
Caslan-Orduin Pact (1254-1677) In 1254, the Kycer was approached again by Orduin with a more powerful offer and expansion of the port pact. Having seen potential growth in Caslan, Orduin envoys wished to establish trading posts, expand and improve Caslan road networks, and establish cultural enclaves. The Kycer’s priesthood was immediately suspicious, but a substantial bribe from the envoys secured enough votes within the assembly to create the Caslan-Orduin pact. The pact effectively made Caslan a vassal in all but name, with Caslandic citizens now paying taxes into the empire to build roads and improve on the southern settlements to give larger room for imperial settlement. The Kycer originally forbid Orduin military presence on the isle, but increasingly tolerated a loophole of classifying imperial garrisons as mercenaries. Angry at the Kycer for the pact, the Geuder clan and their allied clans aggressively began to form political resistance to the pact, although this resistance increasingly became another excuse to get back at their ancient rivals.
Caslan Civil War (1678-1702) Although peaceful for hundreds of years, the troubles of the Caslan-Orduin pact exploded when Geuder representatives in the Kycer accused the priesthood of openly taking bribes from Orduin envoys to further give away the autonomy of Caslan. Angry at the accusation, the Coladdic clan’s patriarch Margov Coladdic launched a surprise attack and raid on the assembly, rounding up Geuder representatives, and executing them. Margov’s use of imperial mercenaries during this attack only fueled rumors of conspiracy, and the Geuder patriarch Jasnick Geuder gathered his clan for war against the Kycer. The Geuders used odd tactics, not relying on magic or the undead as the Coladdic armies did, and began using advanced tactics and brutal strikes against the Coladdic armies with increasing ruthlessness. Margov Coladdic died along with a majority of his warriors during the Battle of Hynt’s Shore, a coastal battle in which Jasnick used Okan Ghilmen on ships to flank around Margov’s line and land a contingent to surround and batter the Coladdic forces. The defeat left the Kycer vulnerable.
Occupation and Annexation (1703-2108) In 1703, desperate to not be destroyed by the Geuders, the Kycer used a spell to call back Mel Coldfinger from his trip. Teleporting to Caslan, the lich attempted to reason with the Geuders, but failed due to their personal blood feud. Mel, knowing he had no forces to spare, gathered the Kycer and fled to the empire’s stronghold in southern Caslan, and asked the empire to intervene in the matter. The empire agreed, and launched a campaign against the Geuders and their allies for control of the Isle. Jasnick Geuder died fighting alongside his sons at the Battle of Kel Loch, and Orduin took control of the isle. The Kycer were allowed to return to governance, but were put under a governorship and were forced to approve their legislation before Orduin representatives. Mel stayed for several years to make sure Caslan did not fall apart before leaving once again, but not before reprimanding his own clan by having the assembly dismissed and calling for immediate new elections. The empire’s tedious occupation of the isle was fraught with trouble, culture shock, and limited tolerance.
2nd Caslan Civil War (2109-2155) The power struggle between the Kycer and the governorship often caused a great deal of trouble and controversy amongst the island’s inhabitants. While some sided with the empire’ governors, the increasing corruption of those governors caused discontentment. It all came to a head during the reign of an increasingly authoritarian governor by the name of Rolyan, a Lun’Kerk native and fanatical loyalist. Rolyan attempted to dissolve the Kycer by vote, but was rebuked by them instead. Rolyan eventually tried to ignore the Kycer’s role in his government, but this too failed, and eventually the Kycer tried to forcefully recall him. Kycer loyalists, under a skilled necromancer named Vadov Geuder, led a fanatical army of kerk guards into Rolyan’s estate and murdered him, sparking a brutal civil war between the governorship and the Kycer. The empire sent an expedition to put down the Kycer, and did so with increasing brutality. Eventually, Mel Coldfinger was again called back to the isle by the Kycer, but was failed to be summoned for an unknown reason. The last Kycer holdout lasted till 2155, where the last members fought to the bitter end in their tomb cities, and were eventually buried alive within them.
Age of Repression (2155-2377) Although the Kycer as a political body was destroyed, the empire put the isle and its people under military control in order to reign in the isle’s inhabitants. Although the island was governed normally, even more merciful than others by comparison, the island was plagued with troubles and curses. Rumors of Mel Coldfinger returning to the isle was rampant, with the governorship of the isle cursed to have each governor die more undignified and crueller deaths then the previous ones. Military rule of the isle often resulted in further dissatisfaction and discontent amongst the Kerkian clans. Although the empire tried to make friends of the Beastfolk as a countermeasure to the Kerks, this also fell flat on its face, as poor policies and general incompetence on the island resulted in awkward betrayals and incidents which caused further divide. These troubles would continue for a long time, with the isle never truly being stable.
Ambitions of Simov Geuder (2378-2399) Although the island continued to chafe under the rule of the empire, a young and ambitious captain of the Geuder Clan named Simov began his military career on the island. While well travelled and an excellent soldier, Simov had been active in not only his clan’s local politics as much as imperial politics as well. Simov was eventually assigned back to Caslan to help keep control, although his methods became more and more odd. Rather than his normally brutal attitude for a Kerk towards others, Simov became more compassionate towards his home isle, especially towards the Coladdic clan whom he would marry into. Simov began climbing through the promotions with increasing efficiency, but soon many of his internal rivals also began to disappear. Investigations were halted, and garrisons were shifted constantly under his orders, effectively staffing the entire island with younger and inexperienced garrisons from the empire. Simov eventually was able to squeeze his way into becoming the military governor of the isle, and would continue to be the head of government till 2400.
The Ferdgave Massacre (2400) In early spring of the year 2400, Simov Geuder called for a large-scale military exercise in the city of Ferdgave, along with inviting many local governors and loyalists. While being the host of the party, Simov left and returned with a contingent of Geuder and Coladdic warriors, who descended upon the empire’s loyalists, and shortly resulted in a battle outside the city. The events surrounding Simov’s victory was relatively unknown, with rumors speculating that the disorganized imperial garrisons performing the exercise were struck down by a sudden and swift killing plague, while others would claim the necromancer priesthood arose a small undead army to aid them. Regardless of the case, the empire’s leading men and majority of their garrisons were killed or captured on the isle, starting Simov Geuder’s great rebellion for the island itself.
Simov Geuder’s Revolt (2401-2423) With most of the garrisons and leading officers of the isle defeated, Simon’s campaign for the isle was short. However, keeping the isle was a difficult affair as the empire began preparing for a campaign for Caslan once again. The first major expedition to the isle ended in total disaster, with a storm blowing the ships off course and crashing into reefs on the north side of the isle where Simov defeated landing imperial forces in 2411. The second invasion was to be better planned, although increasing political pressures at home caused the invasion to be delayed. Simov spent much of his time preparing for defenses, up until 2422, when the bug invasion appeared and decimated the empire. Without an empire to fight, Simov had technically won, and he would use this personal glory to improve his own image.
Restoration of the Kycer (2424-2466) Although Simov had plans of his own, they were put aside when Mel Coldfinger returned in a rather dramatic fashion, appearing to him in his court through a shroud of mist. The discussion between Simov and Mel prompted him to retire, and prompted Mel Coldfinger and the Coladdic clan to restore the Kycer under its original form. However, major differences and new rules for the Kycer was placed drastically onto it to prevent their subjugation by another power, and promoted Simov’s clan as a ‘guardian king’ to become a powerful force within Caslan to act as a military head and to restore the theocratic republic in times of trouble. Mel in this time also brought back countless new books of magical lore, and reserved himself in his study as he watched the Kycer reform itself and wiped away the last powers of the Orduin empire from Caslan.
The Dultsev Crises (2466-2487) When Simov died around 2466, his influence was not lost fully. The Kycer held elections in 2466, but was interrupted by one of Simov’s confidants, an ambitious kerkian named Dultsev. Dultsev and his loyalists put on a populist show, decrying the corruption of the Kycer and challenged the usefulness of it. When Dultsev tried to run for the election to become the head of the assembly, he was humiliated when he lost quite significantly. Dultsev sulked in Geuder territory for years, and was delusional about his own support, and began gathering an army of loyalists to his cause. Dultsev’s conspiracy against the Kycer was reported to it by one of Dultsev’s mercenaries, and an army was dispatched to resolve it. Dultsev was killed in the fighting, but the Coladdic soon blamed the Geuders for inviting him and for harboring a traitor in their territory. The troubles restarted between the Geuders and the Coladdics, with reprisal killings stretching across much of Caslan.
The Proscriptions (2488-2534) Although Dultsev was dead, his actions haunted the Kycer for years up until 2488 when the new electorate was called to deal with the increasing violence and instability. The patriarchs of both the Geuders and Coladdics agreed to a ceasefire between their two respective clans, but the biggest and most drastic action taken was the call for Proscriptions, or the political assassination and banishment of several influential members of the Kycer who had aided Dultsev. The killings began in 2492, when Dultsev’s entire clan was rounded up and executed, and many of his aligned clans and those who had tolerated his presence were brutally murdered. The way the Kycer handed out proscriptions created a whole new set of problems, as they Kycer rewarded the murderers with the estates and lands of those they murdered. The Geuders were especially enthusiastic with this deal, and effectively took over a larger quarter of lands, and enriched them considerably. The Proscriptions would not end until later in the years 2511, and would have lingering effects for years after.
The Slave Revolt (2535-2544) Although the Geuders were now getting richer and even more influential than before, the clan found their new found wealth useless by their lacking influence in the Kycer and became more politically active. The Geuders took on a number of strange issues to squeeze their way into power, including servitude limits, which would have limited the years a slave could remain in servitude. The Geuders narrowly lost their election, which infuriated the slaves enough to revolt against the Kerks. Much of Caslan’s cities became internally sieged by rebelling slaves, with the biggest revolt being able to take the city Kel Gavan. Although the Kerks were preparing for a long and drawn out war, Mel Coldfinger intervened and went from city to city to speak to the rebel leaders. Through diplomacy, magic, and religion the slave revolt was mostly put down peacefully, with only the slave revolt in Kel Gavan having to be taken by force.
Current Events (2545-2622) Following the slave revolt, Caslan entered several years of peace just as politics between the Geuders and the Coladdic began to gravely divide between the two feuding clans. Although Mel Coldfinger continues to linger on the isle for now, it is rumored he plans for a 2nd journey across the world of the ruined empires to collect knowledge and magical lore, leaving a concerned and embattled Kycer who relies heavily on his wisdom and skills. The Kycer looks out across the oceans, unsure of what to do next in the wider world.
Culture
Appearance Kerks are a fairly simple people by nature, and this is highly reflected in how they look and what they wear. Kerks prefer comfortable and easy to slip on clothes, and have no interest in what makes them look good in the eyes of others. Kerks do not wear jewelry for these reasons, they maximum extent to what they will wear are brooches and rings, and even then these pieces of jewelry are entirely simplified. Kerkian nobility tend to wear armor and weapons, the maximum extent of their ‘formal wear’, and often simply wear more colorful clothes to identify them as a clan’s chief or the region’s Zupan. Only the priesthood and scribes wear more valued clothes, usually large and outlandishly ornate purple robes with cloth scarfs which cover their mouths. Kerkians of more notable status also wear tall fur caps, although this sometimes does not fully indicate status by default, as commoners and even slaves will wear fur caps to give off a false sense of authority and fashion. Beards are common amongst Kerks, who tend to grow out their beards into large, unshaven messes but will crop their hair short.
Craftsmanship Caslan craftsmanship is considered almost universally poor. Kerks themselves are not good smiths, preferring quantity over quality. The best most Kerkian smiths can do on Caslan is the making of medium armor, chainmail, and the traditional flat blades. Okan and Beurian smiths do not fare much better, which is why quality smithing is handled by foreigners, and the local elven population which produces better quality equipment to nobility and elite guard. Caslan Architecture tends to be a strange mix; with Kerkian stone and brick work being fairly rare. Most structures are a mixture of wood and stone, with blacker stone used in the construction of the tomb cities and keeps. Elven, and even old Orduin imperial, styles are commonly found in enclaves across Caslan. Caslan’s Okan style of building is considered rather beautiful, often using intricate and humble round designs made of wood, often with small basements and depots, which became a common building style across Caslan.
Traditions Kerkian traditions differ between family to family, and while the Kerks will have many respected traditions, there are few unifying and known ones. The Kerks are a deeply religious people, and are also very communal. Some families, especially the Coladdic, are known to dress their youngest in brightly colored cloaks and clothes to celebrate their lives, Geuderian Kerks are known to martial customs and will often go out on their own to raid or go adventuring on their own accord. The only real unifying tradition amongst Kerks is that when Kerks become adults, they are given the option to either serve their family and keep their surname, or to choose a new surname and leave the clan to form their own. Those who choose to stay tend to end up in the clan as laborers or militia, while those who leave are partly banished from the clan’s grounds but are ultimately still tied to the clan in many ways.
Law To outsiders, Kerkian law is brutal, harsh, but ultimately pragmatic. Most laws are reinforced by the clans themselves, which bow to a higher religious authority which trumps their own landed laws. Those who enforce those laws are usually a part of a clan’s militia, with cities tending to have their own town guard who are also usually a part of a family militia. Larger legal battles are often presented to the courts of the Kycer itself, and overseen by a necromancer priest who decides on the value of evidence and makes swift decisions. Kerkians do not have prisons or dungeons, as Kerks often immediately turn to swift execution either by throat cutting or hanging. It isn’t abnormal for Kerks to have a special grove with a great and ancient oak where many skeletal and decaying forms of executed Kerks are guarded by their executioners to serve as warnings against criminal behavior. Kerks view throat cutting as a honored and dignified way to die, but it isn’t abnormal for the Kerkian cities to put on ‘shows’ of public torture and execution.
Rights Rights is an odd concept to the Kerks, who are normally fairly tolerant of most except their own half-bred cousins. Kerks treat their women with equality, and tend to show some limited tolerance towards other races and their faiths. However, Kerkians exemplify the term ‘tyranny of cousins’ to the maximum degree, where the lives of Kerks and their thralls tend to live under the strict rules and restrictions of the clan, and where family has a slavish control over their own lives. The Kycer has several major restrictions on other religions, forbidding the construction of foreign temples in their lands and the general demand for respect for their clergy at all times. Those who do not bow to the necromancer when asked on Caslan soil can be subjected to the harshest punishments
Slavery Slavery isn’t an integral part of Kerkian society, nor a backbone of its economy. Kerkia does rely on cheap and generally unpaid labor, but this comes from family peasants who work for their clan. Slaves are usually native beastfolk or those who are captured in war, forced to do manual labor and are universally treated poorly by their masters, who view them as beneath them. Slave soldiers such as the Ghilmen are trained by the clans to use them as professional soldiers in war, fighting alongside Kerkian armies or to act as bodyguards. Most slaves are identified by deep gashes on their faces, along with blue or white handkerchiefs on their necks which identifies them as personal servants. Normally, slavery is for life, with the children of slaves also being considered slaves themselves. Necromancers are known to enchanted iron collars with spells in order to control larger slaves like Beurians, who are considered popular laborers and bodyguards for the Kycer’s clergy.
Philosophy Kerkians by their nature lack self preservation, and their attitudes towards life reflects their general offset to life. Kerkians value three things in life; faith, freedom, and merit. To the Kerks, religion is a central part of their lives, viewing that the gods who look over them and bother to guide them are worthy of respect and worship. Kerkians will say they value freedom, but truthfully value autonomy and statelessness. Kerkian Merit is a very odd term, for the Kerks value those of great skill, no matter where that skill comes from whether it be by experience or those born naturally to it. Kerks tend to be highly cynical and deeply rooted in their beliefs, but are open to new ideas if they can be proven to work for the greater good of their clan and kingdom.
Education Due to their faith, education is considered a major facet of life for the Kerks, and works in tiers much like social status. Lower castes such as laborers, small clans, and slaves tend to rely on tutorship of their own families for education, which more specialists castes can expect monastic schooling. Most of Caslan society, at some level, can read and write, but the better one is at reading and writing, the higher one’s social status is assumed. Schools and colleges are often seen either next to or near Caslan temples, with specialized colleges in the richer towns and cities. Coladdic clans tend to have their own personal libraries and documentation depots scattered across Caslan’s mainland, some containing the ancient lore and histories of the Kerks. The most impressive educational institution in Caslan itself is Scribe’s School Gangave. The Kerks largest repository of knowledge is Mel Coldfinger’s personal library, found deep in the catacombs of his personal abode in the mountains, containing countless volumes of magical and historical lore.
Family Kerkian family life is considered an important part to the Kerkian identity, as all things a Kerk does in their lives is to improve the status of their family and to ensure its survival. Whether it be working slavish hours farming for the clan, or dying for the clan in a brutal feud, the family’s prestige, honor, and wealth is too important to abandon. In return, these families provide work, stability, and safety to their members as well as justice and order in their lives. Clans are led by two leaders usually; a matriarch and a patriarch. Both have joint power in the clan, and usually are the most influential members of the clan who make decisions on the behalf of the entire clan. Kerkians have tiers of broods due to how they have children, with the first brood being higher and more valued then 2nd and 3rd generations. Due to the exhaustion of raising so many children at once, Kerkian families tend to be very grim, and have no real bonds which bind them together, which often results in internal family feuds and deeply rooted abuse which is passed down between family to family.
Entertainment Entertainment tends to be different from city to city, culture to culture within Caslan. The Geuderians for instance may host blood soaked tourneys between each other, practicing full fledged battles to cheering crowds in a festival of sorts. Coladdic Kerks are perhaps more ‘nuanced’, trying to often remove themselves from their violent nature and to wind down in their libraries, play board games, or even enjoy mediation within their groves. Almost all Kerks enjoy books, and writing in books, and it isn’t abnormal for even poorer Kerks to write down journals and make observations. Festivals and clan games tend to happen seasonally, but perhaps the most obscure and unspoken love of the Kerks is tavern life. Kerks while crowd into taverns and pubs to drink and merrily sing and gamble to their heart's content.
Language If language is a barrier, then the Kerkian language is a fortress wall, difficult if not downright impossible to assail. The Kerkian language is often described as difficult to orally speak, but easy to read. Kerkian tone can drastically change the meaning of phrases, and often it takes considerable effort to learn and fluently speak Kerkian. The native language of Caslan, spoken primarily by the beastfolk natives, is a much in the same way a opposite of the Kerkian language. Caslandic is difficult to orally speak, but near impossible to write down or read. Caslandic as a very specific structure to it, with very literal phrases and meanings. Both languages are spoken by the people of Caslan, although not always equally. The Kycer consider Caslandic a ‘slave language’, only spoken by the lower classes and by the Beastfolk themselves. The Kerkian language, although promoted, is often abandoned by non-Kerks who will often just turn to speaking Caslandic in frustration. This often results in Kerkian being a ‘court language’ in Caslan, only spoken between Kerks who wish to speak openly and mockingly of those who do not understand them.
Burial Caslandic Burial is a difficult subject to the Kerks whose communities can produce so many bodies, which is why the necromancer faith of the Kerks so well with them. When a non-royal or important Kerk dies, their body is presented to the temple and given over to the priesthood to do as they well, although it isn’t uncommon for kerks to just leave bodies in ditches. Kerkians believe that what a body is done with in death is not of significance. Most clan bodies, especially important Kerks who the clans wish to remember, are buried in the tomb cities, which act both as respectful places of the dead as much as as depots for the necromancers. Only the beastfolk differ greatly in burial, and view being buried in a Tomb City as a terrible fate. Okan bury their dead in underwater graveyards off the coasts of their cities, and Beurians burn their dead on pyres.
Pets To any outsider, the Kerks are considered strange for their choice of pets and companions. Kerks in general tend to have tamed and trained otters, badgers, and wolverines as pets which they use for all manner of purposes. Otters are used by Kerkian fishers, with badgers and wolverines being used much in the same way as dogs. Although dogs and cats are seen amongst Kerks, especially herders, these pets are considered weird and abnormal for the Kerks. Insects are considered ‘sacred’ and ‘protected’ animals to the Kerks who see them as holy, which is why some Kerkian clans will have ‘pet’ mayflies, dragonflies, cicadas, hornets, and moths. Richer Kerks have a fondness for shellfish, like lobsters and horseshoe crabs, which only adds to their estranged behavior.
Feuds/Retaliation Kerkian feuds between clans are long lasting, with rivalries between clans capable of starting miniature civil war and deep instability in kerkian society with just a sheer number of Kerks and clans which get involved. Kerks tend to retaliate with violence, which often means each clan has a small but well armed host of militia which acts as guards as much as raiders. Retaliation between clans is often difficult to solve, let alone avoid, with Kerkian priests having to get in the way to force cease fires. In order to solve long standing feuds, the patriarchs of both clans often make sacrifices in the nearest temple and pray together with a Kycer’s representative overlooking them. If the feud is complex, such as unknown reasons for the feuding or land disputes, the two patriarches work out a deal in the temple to appease both parties. Kerkians are stubborn however, and will go to absurd lengths to fulfill their feud’s oaths.
Honesty Kerkians are considered obnoxiously honest, a cultural attitude most Kerks and those in Caslan have. Kerks will in general tell each other and others harsh truths, and often refuse to lie under most circumstances. Kerkians are known as terrible diplomats and merchants, who will just often tell others their intentions. Kerkians try to get around this habit by not answering questions directly, or being not forthcoming about their direct answer. Kerkians have no trouble with lying, it's just that the Kerks see it as pointless and impractical. While Kerks themselves are honest, they often do not expect the same of others, a common trap of those ignorant of the Kerks themselves.
Superstitions While being a very religious people, the Kerks are also deeply superstitious and have many tales, legends, and general beliefs which impact their lives. Kerks believe there is a sacred divinity in albinism, with albino animals and even humanoids being hunted for their fur. Kerks believe drinking the blood of these beings will grant strength, intelligence, or unnatural magical powers. There are hundreds of different ghosts, spirits, and vampires which inhabit Kerkian mythology, each one more grim and vile then the next. Kerks tend to avoid marching off in winter due to these beliefs, as well as avoiding the deep forests and groves beyond civilization. Kerkians also tend to believe that their gods ultimately control the outcome of battles and campaigns, with commanders and officers making offerings to the gods. These offering rituals are so often used that Kerkian campaigns have stalled for months until a good sign was had.
Okan Culture Just as the Okan are a communal people by nature, they are also a communal people by culture. Okan are deeply family tied, with entire clans often living in single rooms and moving close to one another. Separating an Okan family is difficult, if not downright impossible. Okan are peaceful, deeply pacifistic in their beliefs, often due to their general belief that they cannot afford to fight or harm one another. Although Okan clans tend to adopt mostly Kerkian customs, the one custom which they did not abandon fully was the trading of wards between feuding clans to gain peace between them. These clan wards often grow up as adopted members of the clan. While Okan are fairly peaceful, their laws are considerably more ‘notable’ and concerningly brutal. Okan drown those who harm their clans and communities, and then have them tied down to anchors just enough for them to float slightly below the surface of the water in a morbid reminder to those entering their ports of their brutality.
Beurian Culture Beurian society and culture is clan based, being very tribalistic and highly nomadic. Beurians do not live in settled places, instead moving with their moose herds to new lands to graze. Beurians who are born in these clans are forced into a lifestyle of constant war and training, decided entirely by their shaman. Beurians tend to be very free spirited in culture, having no love of authority over their lives, especially by their own chiefs and peoples. Hunter-Killers are Beurian rangers who separate from clans, and take on a holy vow to fight the clan’s enemies through more subtle means, and act partly as monster hunters. One of the notable parts of Beurian society is their use of cloaks and kilts to signify their loyalty to certain clans.
Military
Recruitment Recruitment is a difficulty in Kerkian society despite its abundance of manpower. Although there is a central government, Kerks do not have a truly professional army which allows for recruitment drives. Instead, individual Kerkian clans recruit from their own, forming larger levy warbands which then journey to a central mustering ground underneath an individual Zupan. The Kycer tends to have its own armies, normally specialized Coladdic clansmen and their undead levies which assist them in battle, who collect only from their own clan. In order to make up for their troubles, large and rich Kerkian clans and cities employ the use of Ghilmen, slave soldiers of the island which are professionally trained for war. Ghilmen are recruited from poor families or from the families of slaves from a young age, and brutally trained by Kerkian militia captains in a barrack society.
Organization Caslan’s armies are horrifyingly decentralized, as each army is feudal in its nature which relies so heavily on the loyalty of easily angered Kerkian clans. The formal leaders of the army are the members of the Kycer who are voted on to lead the Caslan armies. These generals then are given subordinates by the Kycer who then under their own personal skill divide up Caslan’s united forces. In normal circumstances, the burden of leadership is put onto the Zupans, who have their own captains and subordinates to lead their armies. Patriarches do not lead armies, and instead will send heirs and militia captains in their place. It isn’t uncommon for clergy to also lead armies, even more successfully than their secular counterparts. Often, since Ghilmen and Bylamen are outside the absurd feudal structure of Kerkian armies, they often are the most professional armies of Caslan and thus are the most respected.
Tactics Although poor in organization, Kerkian warfare is considered horrifying for outsiders for several reasons. Kerks in general have a hard time retreating and shrug off mortifying losses. Kerkians fight to a bitter end, a fact of their psychology which makes them miserable to fight against. Kerkian armies tend to use a mixture of spellcraft and skirmishing, trying to drastically weaken and hamper an enemy down before they engage. Kerkian commanders are quite infamous for purposefully losing battles, using engagements to grievously weaken or kill more terrifying divisions, before retreating into the arms of a friendly army where they can crush their enemy with a fresh force. Kerkians do not mind casualties very much, especially with necromancers aiding their army, who can use their own dead to swiftly reforge their ranks. Kerkian armies also do not shy away from massacring their enemies, with more infamous instances of Kerks stacking the bodies of entire cities in the commons area like a mountain.
Navy The Kerkian navy is a weird mix of professionally built war galleys and carracks, but also an absurd amount of transport vessels. Different cities tend to have different ports, with the Okan shipbuilders primarily providing Caslan’s fleet and naval officers. However, ports and drydocks are scattered across the south and were consumed by Caslan into becoming naval bases for Caslan’s considerable fleets. Caslandic ships are built primarily for skirmishing and ranged warfare, with boarding action and ramming being avoided. This is often because Caslandic ships are very fast, an Okan design to Caslandic ships which allow them considerable maneuverability on the open waters.
Siege Weapons Kerkian siege warfare has a strange history, as siege warfare was not a common occurence on Caslan and thus often most Kerks have little experience with sieges. However, this is not to say the Kerks have not come up with absurd tools and designs. Although Kerks do use battering rams and catapults, the favored weapon of Kerkian armies are large hurling catapults which are infused with dark magic by necromancer engineers who hurl balls of skeletons and decaying bodies over the walls of enemy settlements to cause disease (and to occasionally raise up from the dead to attack the defenders inside the walls).
Clan levies are a long standing core of the Kerkian armies, which are mustered by the clans of Caslan into large warbands. Due to the sheer size of a Kerkian clan and family, each clan can provide a large number of levies. However, most levies are poorly armed, and often fight with little more than the clothes they had brought. At best, the Kycer will provide for these levies tents, meals, and weapons if they lack them. Clans, not Zupans or the Kycer, are expected to foot the bill for these levies. Levies tend to be trained in maneuvering rather than skills, making them quite obedient when it comes to complex maneuvers but are universally considered terrible soldiers.
Outriders are a common occurrence amongst Kerkian armies, being the backbone of the mounted divisions Kerkia will field. Kerkian horses are expensive and difficult to maintain for many of the clans. This often makes riders considered a grade above that of Kerkian levies and common clansmen, their skills invaluable for the militias of Caslan. Kerkian outriders however perform almost universally poorly, being quickly to get surrounded during engagement, being the last to retreat, and the rather odd tactic of Kerkian throwing themselves from their horses and onto their enemies. Outriders primarily act in the capacity as fast, mounted skirmishers.
Ghilmen are slave soldiers who are taken from a young age, and trained into professional soldiers in the service of a specialized guild. Ghilmen are normally Okan from slave families within the cities who are sold to a Ghilman barracks. These Okan have their tails cropped and their faces permanently disfigured, but most Ghilmen are marked with special tattoos across their body which identify their status. Ghilmen are trained primarily by a Kerkian equivalent to a mercenary company, who sell the services of the Ghilmen to Kerkian clans and cities for protections, armed services, or as bodyguards. Normally grim and viciously trained, Ghilmen are well respected by the Kerks who tend to appreciate them and their services. Ghilmen who lives to an older age or perform admirably for their guild are allowed to be ‘freed’ and to start a family or business, under the contract obligation that any of their children are recruited as Ghilmen themselves and half their income goes back into their guild.
The Bylamen are the elite guard and personal army of the Kycer, whose sole duty is protecting the Kycer and its assembly. Members of the Bylamen are usually elite clansmen, but its main core is made up primarily of the undead. Most living members wear a vibrant purple or violet dress around their heavier armor, who use enchanted gear. Rainbow Knights for instance, also sometimes known as Death Knights, use runed swords with various necromantic blessings and curses. The most known and terrifying element of the Bylamen is the use and building of Barrow Guard, skeletal undead soldiers who are super charged with magic. Incredibly fast, strong, and skilled in the arts of combat, the Barrow Guard also can ‘regenerate’ in the midst of combat, often tearing their enemy’s limbs to attach it to their own bodies. Bylamen are the personal guard of Mel Coldfinger, as well as the most elite force Caslan can muster in war.
Most Caslan armies in some capacity have a necromancer which follows them, or a member of the clergy. Most Necromancers are identified by their lavish purple robes, the colors of the Kycer, as most Necromancers are either members of the clergy, or have some role in the Kycer itself. While most lores of magic are practiced and studied, the most important lores is necromancery and curses. Kerkian tactics often require a drastic weakening of enemies, and high casualties in battle often requires an undead force being raised in the midst of battle to assure total victory. Every once in awhile, a Lich will join an army, but not by that army’s choice. Liches will often join the Kerkian ranks either as sub-commanders or as allied mages, and most Kerkian armies tolerate their presence.
The Kerks do not often use their own clans to scout or spy on their enemies, as intrigue is usually handled by an old and specialized guild of assassins known as the Blackhand. Paid well for their services, the ancient order of spycraft amongst the Kerks provides valuable services for Kerkia’s armies. The most infamous groups of the Blackhand often provide counter-assassination services to their commanders, acting as hidden bodyguard who specialize in the protection of Kerkian officers and generals. The Blackhand tends to be a very diverse group, and often shadow the Kerks wherever they go.
Government
The Kycer
Kerkian Kycer (Theocratic Republic) The Kycer is a theocracy and republic, a weird and complicated mix between a theocratic government with a secular assembly which governs daily politics. The Kycer is divided into 2 main branches which assemble into one generalized senate. There is the theocratic council, and then there is the Zupan’s assembly beneath it. There are two leaders in the Kycer, the heads of council, the major and minor ones. From there, beneath them is regional priests, ceremonial priests, representative priests of the whole of Caslan, the provincial priests, and then the various bodies of smaller institutions. The members of the Kycer meet up in a gathered assembly, usually the Tomb City of Scribes, where they would hold votes and perform rituals to the gods. The Kycer also has a body of nobles, made up of nobles of Caslan who get automatic positions based on their title, and voting power within the Kycer itself. Only priests of the Gyloist faith can join the Kycer, although becoming a priest is considerably easy.
Ruling Caste
Head of the Council - The highest leading position amongst the Kycer is a member of the Head of the Council, for which there are two official positions, and one informal one. The head of council is the formal leader of the assembly itself, often having the most fitting robes and most fanfare of all the priests. Normally, the head of council is also a head of religious ceremonies, leaders of armies, and so forth. The Head of Council does not lead the vote, but does have the last say on it, and has veto power. As custom, all members of the Head of Council are bowed to in a sign of respect by all members of the Kycer.
High Member of the Kycer - The highest offices of the Kycer, such as the administrative offices which follow the Head of Council and associated priests are considered the most important heads of the assembly. Normally living near or on the grounds of the assembly’s grounds, the higher members tend to meander and discuss law. They mainly exist as a federal role in the government in most circumstances.
Lower Member of the Kycer - The lowest members of the Kycer, usually representative bodies and guards of the Kycer itself is a position which inhabits ‘above nobles, below leaders’ kind of position. Informally, they are the most minor positions of the assembly itself, but are formally considered a high position in Kerkian society. Most lesser members do the wet work that higher members do not do, and act as a state role in government.
Clergy - Although all members of the Kycer are clergy, informally the true clergy of Caslan are within its temples and amongst the more ceremonial roles within the Kycer. Clergy still play a significant role in administration, as their authority and faith are the backbone of the power of the Kycer itself. Clergy have a significant social role in the lives of Caslan and are ultimately informal leaders. In all but name, the clergy of Caslan are often its most influential leaders in the Kycer.
Zupan - Zupans are the landed nobility of the Kerks, at least in comparison to those landed nobility. Zupans often are the most powerful patriarchs of a region, having authority and power over smaller aligned clans. Zupans have some general say in local as much as national politics, and often are in ceaseless opposition to the religious authorities. Zupans swear fealty to the Kycer, who in turn grant them titles over the regions they rule. Zupans act as ‘guardians’ of the Kycer’s republican traditions, who tolerate their monarchy over their fellow Kerks.
Specialist Caste
Patriarch - In Kerkian society, the Patriarch is the clan’s leader. Chosen by the previous patriarch, the clan leader is the ruler of the entire family and makes decisions on behalf of the clan. Although all patriarches share power with an equally powerful matriarch, most clans have patriarches be their envoy and decision maker. Patriarches normally specialize in local politics as much as leading the family through crises.
Heir - Heirs are the inheritors of Kerkian titles, chosen by their superiors to inherit their positions and given the best in education and services to become as learned as possible before becoming Patriarchs and Zupans. It is crucial to note that Heirs are hand picked by their superiors, or by the clan itself, and do not inherit based on blood lines. Heirs tend to be the 2nd in command of a clan, being above captains and are highly respected. However, to keep themselves as heir for the clan, they must be constantly proving themselves to the family to keep their position, as it can be taken away at any time.
Captain - Captains in Kerkian society are about the closest thing to knights they have, usually the higher positioned members of a Kerkian militia or a respectable position as an officer in a city or the Kycer. Normally a military position, Captains are often chosen by clans to lead, train, and arm the clan’s levies. Captains tend to be a close family of their respective clans, and their strongest warriors who in turn are granted better homes and lifestyles to better suit their position.
Barun - Kerkian cities and larger towns are not directly ruled by a clan, but instead vote in a Barun. Baruns are small, meager leaders which is a title which is granted by the Kycer to rule over a city. They can be either a monarchy, republic, or theocracy. Baruns answer to the Kycer but have full reign over the city’s laws and organization, but must always bend the knee and pay taxes to the Kycer or the local Zupan.
Craftsman - Craftsmen who make trade goods are considered a high position in Kerkian society, as not every Kerk is capable of learning such trades. Rather than working on their own, most Craftsmen live among their own family clans who help them provide resources and buy materials, often in return for a cut of their profits.
Merchant - Kerkians are considered very poor merchants, which is why most Non-kerks who get to a higher position in society often become Caslan’s merchants. Elves and Okan buy from Kerkian clans and make deals with them to sell their products and raw resources they collect to the markets in return for a mutual and beneficial cut of profits.
Scribe - Minor administrators and helpers of the temple priests are known as scribes and play a vital role in Kerkian society by providing meager and mundane rituals to the Kerkian clans. Often members of Kerkian clans, especially minor ones, scribes often leave the clans to get an education and then return to help organize the clan, figure out their taxes, and keep the clan in the good graces of the gods.
Labor Caste
Clansman - Clansmen are the true citizenry of Kerkian society, being bound more so the clan rather than the Kycer itself. Born into individual clans, clansmen act as the laborers, soldiers, and toilers for all of Kerkia and do so for very little pay and reward. Effectively peons to their own families, most Clansmen own no land of their own and live entirely at the whims of their clan. Living without a clan is considered a death sentence for many Kerks.
Non-Kerk - Although socially below the clansmen, being a Non-Kerk in Caslan is not considerably bad. Most Non-Kerks may not have a large amount of land, but they are considered commoners in Kerkian society. Commoners often find work much harder to come by, but it also allows them to buy their own plots of lands and homes within cities to specialize their trades. Most Non-Kerks are unfavored in politics, and the social ladder is often denied to them. However, universally, Non-Kerks live better and more stable lives than that of common Kerkian clansmen.
Foreigner - Kerkians have a strange view of foreigners in most cases, often depending on what non-Caslan citizens interact with. Kerkian clans automatically view foreigners with suspicion and doubt, and do not care if they disappear, get robbed, or get captured by another clan. Foreigners are demanded to follow Kerkian laws, and are not treated differently from the Kerks themselves.
Slave - Being a slave is a lifelong position for most, and a miserable one at that. Slaves are owned by their masters who can generally do with them as they please, but there are social norms and regulations which prevent true cruelty. Most slaves in Caslan are put into slum shacks, and are more or less property of an entire clan or city, with personal servants often being reserved for members of the clergy or the zupans. Slaves can buy their freedom, or earn it, but it's a very rare occurrence. Slaves are motivated often to do so, as slaves who have children in captivity will have those children also grow up to become slaves themselves.
Kycer Assembly The Kycer’s assembly gathers all at once in a singular meeting. Although all members of the Kycer are priests, these priests are best thought of as regional representatives for individual clans, territories, and cities. At the head of this assembly is the Heads of Council, for which there are two. There is the Head of Council and the lesser Head of Assembly. Both are co-rulers of the Kycer. Each Head of Council had a group of administrators and clerks known as the Body of Council, who were also elected upon. Each district and region also elected a Ceremonial priest who would lead religious affairs in the Kycer alongside the Minor Priests, the main voting body of the Assembly. Minor priests were voted on by a national assembly, and there were only 18 of them at a time. The assembly also has a ‘shadow assembly’ which meets beneath them, which is made up of Caslan’s Zupans.
Kycer Voting Voting on members of the Assembly is a months long process, usually around a month of preparation and a month of actual voting. The Kycer allows almost universal (and weighed) voting all across society, the only requirement is for those who do vote to appear before the temples to cast it. The system allows nearly everyone to vote; free and slave, rich and poor, landed and unlanded. Even foreigners and non-citizens can vote, as the Gyloism religion views voting as a sacred art. Necromancers oversee the entire voting process, and once a vote is casted, the necromancer creates a temporary magical symbol on the palm of the voter’s hand so that they do not cast their vote twice. Patriarches, zupans, clergy are a higher vote, their casted vote counts as 2. Normal clansmen and citizens count as 1, with slaves being counted as half a vote. Foreigners who vote tend to only count as 1/10th of a vote. It is important to note that during voting, slaves who intend to vote are herded by a special group of necromancers and their undead guards into groves, so that their vote is not interrupted or overseen by their masters.
Kycer Law Making How the Kycer works is considerably strange, being a republic first and foremost, but also the official clergy of the country as well. The Kycer has a set date of 5 until all positions which aren’t the Zupan’s assembly are put up for voting. Members of the Kycer can be voted on several times over. When the Kycer votes, it will do a ‘talley by popularity’ where there is only a 50% majority needed to pass laws. There are speeches and discussions held beforehand before legislation is passed, but there is a moment before major discussion where a ‘gallery of vetoes’ is held. If the Legislation is considered destabilizing or simply bad, the Heads of Council can automatically veto the vote. However, the Ceremonial Priests can also veto the legislation as well, although they must have a 60% majority to do so. Minor priests and Zupans also have veto power, but their veto requires 80% veto power. When laws are passed, the legislation is then brought before shrines of the gods where laws are blessed by sacrifices and prayer, before it is made into law.
Kycer Institutions Most Kerkian institutions are known as Bodies, which follow the administrations of new Heads of Body. The Body of Study handles most administrative costs and affairs, along with the collection of court documentation. The Body of Enforcement handles the defense of the Kycer, and promotes members of the Kycer to become generals. The Body of Rituals performs the religious rites and establishes the chosen gods of the Kycer. Of the bodies, none is more important than the Overwatch of Mel Coldfinger, who was granted a permanent and immortal stay in the Kycer as partial leader and watcher. Liches under Mel’s directorate are refused from stay in the Kycer itself, as only he and his scribes take a very hardline stance against any form of populism and radicalized behavior. When not around, this position is usually held by an equally immortal death knight, a lich associated with Mel, or the patriarch of the Coladdic clan itself. An Overwatch has considerable powers, such as war declaration, veto power, and the ability to just outright remove a member of the Kycer. However, the most important part of Overwatch is to keep the Kycer’s politics aligned and focused.
Society
Kerkian Inheritance Kerkian inheritance is a very important aspect of Kerkian life. When Patriarchs and Matriarchs die, their possessions and land cannot just go to their first born, since all Kerks are born in broods. Instead, each Kerkian clan picks their own heir. Kerkian patriarches choose the most competent and highly skilled of their family to become the next patriarches, with all others effectively being disowned. To the Kerks, being an heir is a cursed affair, as they become responsible for a lot of their family and the clan’s affairs. Kerks tend to choose only the best amongst a wide range of family members, with cousins and distant relatives who happen to live close by often having equal status of inheritance to even first born broods. When clan leaders die without naming an heir from their family, the clan often gets together to vote on who will become the heir instead. Due to this, Kerkians tend to lack major inheritance feuds with their siblings.
Adoption Kerkians have a very strange sense of family, but what often complicates these matters is how Kerkians adopt. Although some clans may care greatly about the purity of their bloodlines, most Kerks often care more about their dynasty and the success of their clan. The most infamous clans are the Geuders when it comes to this, which is why the clan is well known for adoption. Kerkians will adopt virtually anyone, and anything into their clans. Kerkians of others clans, disillusioned bandits, Non-Kerk orphans, nearly anyone can be adopted into a Kerkian clan. Often, these adoptions are without a lot of flare, but the adoption process often adds the surname of that new member into the clan as a full fledged member. These adoptions can also happen at nearly any age, with it not being uncommon for Kerks to simply adopt into their families to extend their own influence. Non-Kerks who get adopted into a clan are often identified by having them wear the clan’s colors on handkerchiefs, scarfs, or small demands of clan pride emblazoned onto armor and weapons they carry.
Clan Autonomy Kerks are notorious for being difficult to rule, an issue the Kerks solved long ago by trying to not rule their people as much as trying to deal with them. Kerks are fiercely territorial, so to get around this the Kycer effectively rules through bread rather than iron. The Kycer collects taxes by convincing the clans of the Kycer’s divine authority, and promotes powerful Zupans to rule over the Kerks in their name. The clans often are avoided whenever possible, allowed to have their own laws and rules, and to feud amongst each other so long as they do not harm the cities and temples. Clans respect these rules, which causes the Kycer and the clans to walk a very fine line. Zoning and negotiations are crucial for the Kycer’s survival, and having a good relationship with each clan helps Caslan in both the short and long term. However, some clans are notoriously cynical and difficult to rule, and when some clans get out of line, they may be subject to being purged by the Kycer.
Secular vs Religious Rule The difficulties of the question ‘Is the Kycer as theocracy, or a republic’ has haunted the theocratic republic since its conception. Officially, the Kycer considers itself a republic. Informally, it is a theocracy with extra steps. Priests are still priests, and Caslan society often votes not on who will represent them, but what clan will be the one to make sacrifices to the gods. Most Kerks view the Kycer as little more than a temple, and that their lives are more ruled by the Zupans. However, the reality often is that the Zupans answer to the Kycer and obey their laws and edicts. The Zupans would love nothing more than to break away from the Kycer, but the reality often is that they need the Kycer a lot more than the Kycer needs them. The power of religion and its effects also afflicts the local political scene, where zealous priests are considered equal in politics to genuine lawmakers.
Clan Moots Kerkian clans feud with one another very often, and they feud so much that their wars can devastate regions. In order to prevent this, Kerkian clans hold Moots where patriarches of the entire region gather together to discuss peace and the troubles of their clan. These Moots are often temporary, and are very much a minor form of governance. However, these patriarches often meet to grant their loyalty to a Zupan, discuss ceasefires, and complain amongst themselves. Moots can often help end disputes, but they are not a sure thing, and can often very quickly backfire. This is often why when a Moot is formed, they invite the region’s Zupan or a member of the Kycer to act as arbitrators in these meetings.
Zupanships Zupans are effectively the Kerkian version of landed nobility, often large estate owners who demand the fealty of others. The main difference however is that most Zupans are just very powerful and old clans, whose patriarches effectively made up their title to hold some authority over smaller clans. Zupans have some very limited, but crucial authority over a region. Zupanships tend to be very shaky at best, their authority coming from their relationship with the Kerkian clans themselves as much as their wealth and military might. Zupanships can shift often based on the mood of the Kycer, as well as the Zupan’s power. Zupans have a very limited, but crucial, authority in the Kycer itself and act as a monarchal bulwark against theocratic designs.
Familicide and Proscriptions The society of feuding clans and brutality amongst the Kerks results in a very unfortunate aspect of Kerkian society; the use of purges and familicide to secure stability. Hostile clans, especially those who do not bend their knee to the Kycer, are subject to extermination at the hands of the Kycer and its allied Zupans. To the Kerks, such things are normal, as the system of family which can extend to many clans can quickly result in a severe internal conflict which can engulf an entire region if hostile families continue to thrive. These purges are not considered personal, and as a normal part of Kerkian life and governance. This practice unfortunately is followed on over for peoples to a lesser extent.
Gyloism Gyloism is a very cynical, polytheistic faith for which is tied to the subsets of three gods who are in a ceaseless war with one another. It is believed that a great creator, a singular and vile entity known as Uthena. Uthena created the sun, stars, and moon and carved flesh into her legs to form the Viyter. The Viyter created the mortal plane of existence, and had children known as the Barkotar. The Barkotar, in their oppression, destroyed Uthema and ate of her flesh, becoming gods themselves. The war between the Viyter and Barkotar was earth shattering, and the blood of that war flowed into the streams and bore the Se’muthar. The Se’muthar’s ‘disposal’ would become the mortal beings of the world. The Barkotar, taking pity on mortal beings, tricked the Viyter into a contract for which they would spare mortals in return for worship and reverence. These gods have since lived in a constant state of fighting one another, endlessly feuding to try to one up one another.
The Viyter (Mountain Gods) The Viyter are the eldest, and the most evil, of the gods of the Goyloist faith. The Viyter lived in the highest mountains and were the sons and daughters of the god Uthena, the creator of the mortal world, and built much of the world in their mother’s name. The mountain gods live in the mountains high and above in an unknown land, and whose great castles live in clouds. It is said they feast on the life of the mortal world in fall and their refuse is the snows that come in winter, for they are cruel and angry at all times towards mortals and care little for them. The Viyter are the ones who grant mortals the gifts of snow, ice, and stone in return for their eternal servitude in death.
Pelka
Domain: High Places, Mountains, Cliffs, Avalanches, Passes, Tolls, and Taxes
Pelka is the queen of the Viyter, and the heir of Uthena. Pelka is a goddess who lives in a vast stone fortress above the clouds and made all the mountains of the world, and despises all who live within it. Pelka despises mortals the most of the Viyter and demands much of them, and made the idea of taxes to spread amongst mortals out of spite, so that they would give her tribute if they dared pass through her mountains and domain.
Vicera
Domain: Lust, vodka, wildness, drunkeness, cruelty, parties, gatherings, and berries
Vicera is the goddess of parties in the Gyloist faith, a beautiful woman depicted with a goat’s head and a bull’s hooves who pranced about changing gender and shape to all who saw her. Vicera was said to join amongst all parties, encouraging rowdy behavior and cruelly tearing apart relationships in fits of joy. Her blood was spilled in war, which grew to become berries.
Tencha is both destroyer and builder, whose work was stolen by mortals to build their homes and castles. Tencha hated this and drove rocks into rivers so they would flood the lands of mortals, and tore apart the earth so that mortals could not copy his designs. Tencha hated all mortal kinds, and only granted peace to those who worshipped him. It was said he granted invaders the secrets of siege weapons so they could invade the land and hinder all who made walls and keeps without his blessing.
Garga is the only ‘good’ Viyter in most ways, having eagerly granted mortals the secrets of magic and seduced the first priesthoods to being given children who would spread her gift abroad. Garga hates mortals who abuse her magic and do not respect the gifts she gives, and sends onto them storms and fire. Garga in legend is said to tempt the clergy and necromancers to turning away from their faith and embracing a wilder form of magic, one which bind them to her will, where she tortures their immortal souls to feed her spells and power.
Toruv is a being who took the most interest in mortals amongst the Viyter, who built a realm in the mountains, an ordered society which had rules, laws, and enforcement which was copied amongst all realms of the Viyter. Toruv made rules and laws inherent in all mortals, and showed mortals how to make chains to imprison and enslave others just as the gods do. Toruv in turn demands a tribute of souls to feed into his empire in the sky. In legend, Toruv showed a spiritual slave how to smith and make tools, which when this spirit escaped, possessed the first Kerkian smith who made tools and weapons for the Kerks. When this spirit returned to Toruv’s realm, it was bound into a dungeon and forced to watch all wars ever committed by its actions for showing the Kerks the power of smithing.
The Barkotar (The Tree Gods) The Barkotar were the children of the Viyter who were hated by their parents and were forced into the menial labor of populating the world. The Barkotar are considered ‘the disgusting but good’ gods of the faith, having the most empathy towards creations and are the most associated with Kerkian culture and worship, but were also the most vile in many instances since it was the Barkotar who showed the Kerks the secrets of necromancery. The Barkotar are the enemies of the Viyter and remain in a frosty relationship with the Se’muthar. They are said to live close to mortals, living in the forests, underneath them, or in the world of shadow. The closest one came to the Barkotar was during the night, where most of their rituals were held.
Nausarine is the head god of the Barkotar, and is chiefly worshipped like most Barkotar. Nausarine is special, and is said to live primarily in a world of dreams, taking those who swear their souls to him to these dream lands. Nausarine is generally considered merciful but had kept to itself, even once having believed that it preferred not to be worshipped, and took no mortal form. Nausarine was said to spread its children, the shadows of the world, across all worlds where it learned its secrets. Nausarine was said to steal magic from the god Garga and grant her mastery onto certain mortals, and granted it’s most profound secrets to Melakos.
Saokuv is the god of necromancery in the faith. Saokuv made the world of the dead, and built the forests and deep caves of the world. Saokuv taught the first necromancers the power to raise the dead, and how to control them, a gift for their services. Saukov had the form of an upright and decaying stag who’s touch brought death and advanced decay, covered in fungus and plagued flies. Saokuv was said to grant favor to the Kerks, giving them their immunity to plague and making plagues so that their enemies would be lessened in number.
Tenera
Domain: War, Tactics, Luck, Rain, Growth, Life, Fertility, Butchery, Spears
Tenera is a goddess of war, depicted as a strong spear wielding maiden and is a warrior whose tales were filled with legend. Tenera was said to make her spear, Gytherya, from the metal from a volcano. Tenera was said to have destroyed a race of mountain giants who were built to destroy mortal kind, and whose tactics and trickery granted her reverence. She is said to have made the edible food of the world and taught mortals how to cultivate crops. Tenera is as much a god of war as she is a god of crops, and for this both soldiers and farmers.
Melakos
Domain: Books, Learning, Knowledge, Unknowns, Forgetfulness, Libraries, History, Time, Immortality
Melakos is the dragon god, a god who is associated heavily with learning and time, and is considered the god of the Liches. Melakos is better known as the patron god of Mel Coldfinger, depicted as a great dragon. Melakos was born of Pelka and stole from her the knowledge of the world and built a library for all the Barkotar to learn from, and delivered the final blow on Uthena. Melakos is said to be the most gifted of the Barkotar, and created a wheel of time for the god Saokuv so that he would know when mortals could die. It is said that Mel Coldfinger made a pact with Melakos for immortality in return for restoring knowledge onto all mortal kind, and collecting the knowledge for the Kerks.
Nurazul is the ancient mistress of love and emotion, a family god who is depicted as a faceless crone. Nurazul was born of a love between Vicera and the trees, but unlike her mother who only lusted for things, Nurazul loved and cared deeply for others, and married her beloved Saokuv. She gave the dark being many sons and daughters to love, each died upon birth, but each became powerful minor deities to the ants, birds, and beetles of the world. Nurazul is deeply associated with emotion, including more negative aspects, such as murder and insanity, and she curses mortals who abuse their love for others with fits of rage and deep sorrow. Nurazul is blamed for having granted the Kerks their aggression, a curse for which was brought on by an abuse given to her while traveling amongst them in mortal form.
Pe’van is a being who is a beast and a god, taking the body of a bear, the head of a toad, the arms of a lion, and the legs of a horse. Pe’van is said to have horns which grow and twist across all the world, and hunts in the deep woods, and is associated heavily with hunting and meat. Pe’van is considered primarily a god of granted onto mortals the power to tame animals it had shepherded, such as the dog and horse. Pe’van was once wrestled by a legendary priest who granted the priest the ability to speak the tongues of animals. Pe’van is considered the father of all ‘beast races’.
The Se’muthar (The Water Gods) During the war for creation, the Se’muthar were born of the blood and gore spilled amongst the Viyter and the Barkotar which spilled into the rivers and seas, and born gods who took on forms more familiar to mortals. Se’muthar live in underwater cities made of coral and shipwrecks, surrounded by the bloated dead and fish. Se’muthar are the creators of all mortal kinds and animals, their ‘disposal’ became the flesh from which mortal kind sprung from. While Pe’van is considered a creator of ‘beast races’ in the world, the Se’muthar are the beings who made mortals such as mankind, elves, dwarves, and the Kerks. Se’muthar demand worship, but are neutral in the affairs of mortals, viewing them as little more then future slaves to their domains.
Okatugar is a leader of the Se’muthar who leads the Se’muthar and was the first born of their kind. Okatugar built a city from the lifeblood of those who fought, and made a throne from the bones of a fallen Barkotar. Okatugar is considered a father of elven kind. Okatugar gifted the mortals the ability to trade for a fair bargain, but also took away their ability to fully understand it when they tried to trick him into giving away more secrets. Okatugar is said to grant an audience only to his favored priests, and turn those who trespass on his domain into golden statues.
Gaivya is the goddess of exploration and general curiosity, but is generally considered to be a river god, more associated with more positive aspects. She is said to be a mother of mankind, and encouraged her children to learn and explore. Gaivya’s greatest gift was said to be the bridge and the otter, which she granted onto the Kerks, granting them furs and meat for their clans and bridges to cross the river without perishing. Gaivya was said to have taught mortals how to swim, and her generosity had made her well liked amongst mortals.
Kulchyaka
Domain: Manslaughter, Beheadings, Bad Smells, Rabbits, Hunting, Nomadism, Hatred, Stags
The Kerks consider Kulchyaka to be their creator, and thus his physical appearance takes on a Kerkian form. Kulchyaka is a powerful deity in conflict with Gaivya, but did not grant Kerks aggression, but instead grant the Kerks the ability to kill during their fits of rage. He is said to have come in the form of a rabbit and bit into the neck of the first pregnant Kerk, giving them the ability to breed with many children. Kulchyaka cares little for his children and despises them, but as their parent gives them what they need to survive and protect them whenever viable. Kulchyaka is said to be spiteful of humanity, and turns men who harm his favored priests into Kerks and small woodland animals.
Mang is the moon god, who was said to dredge up the moon from beneath the ocean and made his home in the sky to escape the drama of the other gods. In his legend, Mang is a western god who takes the moon for rides around the world, and hates mortals deeply for disturbing his rest. In turn, he steals away fishermen and drowns them, wrecks their ships, and bloats their corpses in shallow water. Mang is not considered an evil god however, and is more of a cautionary one, who destroys those who disturb his domain. Mang is in constant conflict with ocean god Okatugar, who is said to always be usurping his domains. Kerks believe the Moon is a realm full of shipwrecks and dead sailors who live in poverty and misery under Mang’s tyranny.
Turzanchya is a god of coves and sea mammals, but is more associated as a god of prosperity, fruit, and teeth. Turzanchya granted mortals teeth and taste, allowing them to enjoy and despise what they hate, but in turn stole their ability to live without food so that they would always be hunting in his domain. He uses this to entrap mortals, demanding their sacrifices for his fish and food, and is always lurking along the ports and sandy beaches, making contracts and deals with mortals. He is said to have a special love of fishermen, whom he makes absurd deals with, turning them into crabs when they fail his missions and tasks.
Pelchigar is a war god who is a mother of monsters and a bloodthirsty monster, a murderer who is said to nearly killed the Viyter god Tencha when she invaded his home and stabbed him. Pelchigar herself was slain however, but was incapable of dying, and was sealed away in a tomb where she could slumber. Plechigar is best known as a god of invaders, and her rumblings inside her tomb are blamed for the Kerkian exodus into their homeland. It is said she is guarded over by Turzanchya, who guards her tomb personally.
Beliefs Beliefs vary in the Gyloist faith, but in general, the Gyloists believe above all is the cruelty of the gods and the demanding nature of life. Gyloists do not view life with the same reverence as others, and instead view it as but a short stepping stone before the plunge into a worse world thereafter, but will worship the gods for a meager chance at power and a better outcome in the world after. Gyloists worship their gods for the power the gods supposedly provide, and because it is tradition. Only the priesthood can divine the signs of the gods, and can make sacrifices on their behalf. Gyloists believe that once one dies, the soul automatically leaves the body, and that soul goes into the realms of one of the three sets of gods.
Magic Gyloist magic is varied, with various schools which reach into partial druidism and the arcane, but its most important lores of magic is curses and necromancery. Gyloists have no intolerance towards any schools of magic, viewing it as a gift of their gods, and those who can practice it as being touched by those gods. Necromancery is fairly self explanatory, the art of bringing the dead to life, and to serve their necromantic masters as undead servants. Cursing is an art, a usually very dark art, in which the Gyloist necromancer will create a powerful brand onto the soul of their victim, infusing them with a magical malus which harms them in differing ways, or even bends reality around them to inconvenience them. Curses tend to be expensive and long lasting. The most powerful forms of magic, and the most difficult to obtain, is the lore of Lichcraft, the art of soul transfer.
Views on Slavery Gyloists have a rather unique view on slavery, which is engrained in the religion itself. Much of what a Gyloist does in their life is a reflection of their gods and ancient superstitions, and thus just as the gods enslave one another or the souls of mortals, so can the Gyloists enslave others. This view does have a unique limit to it, for Gyloists also believe they must become ‘better’ or ‘outdo’ their own gods in order to not become like them. Slaves are not seen as much as property or as inhuman, but are more seen as forced laborers and serfs who toil for their masters. Gyloists tend to be taught by the priests to be kinder then normal to their slaves, and to respect their wants and needs for freedom without giving them that freedom.
Views on Sexuality Gyloist views on sexuality are considered very warped and weird, even for a polytheistic religion which doesn’t initially care for it. Gyloists hold legends of their gods having marriages between the male and female gods, and thus just as the gods have these marriages, so do they. Gyloists have no real opinion on relationships outside of heterosexuality, but view it as a very minor taboo. This minor taboo is at best shunned or encouraged to stop, but it often depends on the relationship between Gyloists. Gyloists believe that both sexes are equal, but there are vague concepts of what is considered masculine and femenine. This often means there are some gender roles in Gyloist faith, but when it comes to political or economic matters, both sexes are considered on equal footing.
Views on Other Religions Gyloists view other faiths as interconnections of their own, and this is due to their founding myths as their own gods having created all the world and those within it. Other gods in the mind of Gyloist believers are minor gods, or are misattributed gods. These minor gods can have hundreds of explanations, but the Gyloists view these gods with similar reverence as their own. However, the Kerks only respect the rituals and practices of their own religion, and view outside gods and practices of other religions as inherently inferior to their own. Even if a god is considered one in the same with a Gyloist god, that god is worshipped in the Gyloist way.
Views on Knowledge and Magic Gyloism is deeply entrenched in knowledge and the use of magic, having a full acceptance of all forms of magic. To the Gyloists, the preservation of knowledge is a sacred act, and the truthful recording knowledge is seen as a divine means of honoring the best traits of the Gyloist gods. Knowledge is primarily associated with the favored gods of the Kerks, Melakos. Although Gyloist prefer the magic of necromancery, there is no magic that is considered too taboo for the Gyloists themselves. Magic such as light may be seen with some suspicion, but all magic is seen as a blessing of the gods and thus is respected. Mages of other faiths are seen with similar reverence, but in a different aspect, as they see mages who worship different gods as cursed beings who were sent against the Gyloists as punishment from their own gods.
Views on Apostasy, Heresy, and Atheism Of one of the few things Gyloists do not tolerate at all is heresy and atheism, and is seen with utter disdain. Although the gods are cruel, breaking the sacred oath of divine reverence of them is seen as blasphemy. Thus, those who go against the temple’s beliefs or suggest the gods are unworthy of worship are despised. Apostasy is a different realm of its own, and its more a complex issue. Gyloists shun those who turn from their gods, but do understand fully that the point of their faith is rebellion against the gods who shun them back. Those who go the extra steps to come into their faith, only to leave it, are seen as weak and misguided.
Religion
Clergy Although there are novels that could be made on all the different types of clergy within the Gyloist faith, it is best described as a faith which is meant to be rather universal, and thus priests are not a special class above others as much as they are chosen from their community to represent them to their gods. Priests come in various classes, which is all connected to the Kycer itself. Clergy for the most part perform rituals and sacrifices to the gods, and in turn act as community leaders and studious priests. Clergy have a great deal of responsibility, answerable to both the community and the gods, but also having power over the community itself. Clergy are sacred, and the harm of one is considered a deep tragedy to the Gyloists who likely elected them to their positions within the Kycer.
Believers Those who have faith in Gyloism are known as Gyloists, although this is not a name they give themselves. Gyloists simply believe themselves as ‘religious’ or as ‘faithful’. Being Gyloist isn’t an identity, at least not initially, and is more of a belief in the ancient practices and mythology of Gyloist lore. Gyloists are not expected of much, but the requirements are to pray at shrines to the gods, a monthly sacrifice in the temple, and respect for members of the clergy. Gyloists otherwise do not have a lot of obligations outside of this, and are mostly free to do whatever. Clergy do not preach to their believers often other than to remind them of their religious obligations.
Temples Gyloist temples are normally small, but fairly tall, structures where the members of the clergy hide out alongside their libraries. Temples are where the priests make their rituals and dedicate themselves to making sacrifices to the gods. These sacrifices, usually grain or meat, or presented on small altars and burned, the smoke rising through chimneys to signify they had made the sacrifice. Temples do not initially dedicate themselves to singular gods, instead they have materials for the building of shrines dedicated to specific gods and decorate their temples in the fetishes and pictographs of their mythology. Each Gyloist temple has a large basement where the clergy live and stay in, alongside their servants. Larger temples make room for more intricate courtyards and studies, with larger populations making larger sacrifices within.
Tomb Cities Tomb Cities are massive stone structures, normally located in stone mountains or built into them, where the dead of the Gyloist faith are thrown into. Tomb Cities, as the name suggests, are massive temple cities dedicated to burial and are a popular haunt for the necromancers of the faith for obvious reasons. However, beyond this, the cities are major final rests for patriarches, Kerks of importance, and the mustering ground for the undead. Tomb Cities are always being expanded upon, usually by an undead workforce, which digs new tunnels and tombs beneath these massive complexes. On top, most Tomb Cities are built like fortresses, with entire castles and stone estates surrounding it and manned by the undead. The most famed Tomb City is the Tomb City of Scribes, a burial place for the Coladdic clan and the traditional assembly ground for the Kycer. Mel Coldfinger considers the Tomb City of Scribes to be his home, and his ‘formal library’.
Holy Orders There are several holy orders in the Gyloist faith, as different bands will sometimes solely dedicate themselves to individual gods. However, there is only one relevant order in the Gyloist faith; The Death Knights. Death Knights are Gyloist zealots who perform an ancient ritual known as the Sacrifice of Flesh, in which a necromancer oversees the zealot cut away pieces of their own flesh and are ‘healed’ by the necromancer. These Death Knights then are draped in a rainbow of cloth and granted a magic blade and given a spiritual quest to seek partial immortality by doing a quest for a god. These quests can go in many different directions, but normally, the quest is complete and the Death Knight returns with knowledge and zeal for which they join the Bylamen to serve the Kycer.
Economy
Imports
Meat
Fruits
Beer
Copper
Spices
Silk
Dyes
Slaves
Bones
Peat
Exports
Grain
Vodka
Fish
Shellfish
Leather
Iron
Gold
Paper
Stone
Taxation Taxation is a difficult issue for Caslan, primarily due to two major issues; The Kerks and the clan structures they live in. Taxation is shaky at best, often based on the relationship between the clans and their Zupans, and Zupans with the Kycer. The Kycer does not administer their own taxes, but instead gives the privilege to guilds who bid on how much taxes they can collect. Deeply unpopular, these tax collectors have to be well guarded as they collect taxes. Kerkian clans tend to be required to give the Caslan state with about 10% of their crop, or a coin equivalent. Taxes are then stored in one of the Tomb Cities where it is counted by the undead and then spent as a budget for the coming year, with the rest being saved. Zupans and cities also pay taxes into this general treasury, but their tax bracket is much higher, usually around 20%.
Trade Policy Kerkian trade policy is very lax, with Caslan ports being very open to trade with the outside world. Caslan authorities do not mind what is traded in their markets, so long as it makes money for them, and merchants are only subjected to the same equally lax laws of the Kerks. Caslan ports demand a moderate toll to be parked in their ports, with only some limited repair services for their stay. Caslan holds some authority to confiscate ships of merchants who had offended the Kycer. The only major restriction the Kerks have on trade is the sale of slaves to outsiders. Foreigners can sell slaves in Kerkian ports, and the Kerks will buy them, but the Kycer forbids the sale of slaves to outsiders and foreign markets. This is primarily due to the major restrictions set in place during the slave revolt.
Caslan Gold and Iron Mines In the central hills and mountains of Caslan has an obnoxious amount of gold and iron nodes, which were developed many times over. Although the Kerks have little use for gold, they mint it into coins and sold it to Orduin for many different resources. Iron is considered more valuable, and thus the iron mines of Caslan are more valued above its gold mines. While in theory this should make the island rich, the use of gold is so poorly used amongst the Kerks that they often just sell entire ingots to other nations or store them in huge vaults. Most of these mines are controlled by mining clans who sell solely to the Kycer, who handle any and all trade of iron and gold.
Okan Fisheries and Seal Hunting Despite being the least known, the most considerable industry on Caslan is controlled by the Okan. Okan mastered the building of fisheries, building truly impressive fish farms all along Caslan’s coastal villages, bringing a huge stock of food for Caslan. Okan Fisheries are professionally run, well stocked, and well supplied. Kerkian clans are rather infamous for trying to get into these industries by forcing Okan slaves to build new fisheries. Associated with fisheries is seal hunting, another Okan practice of hunting the native seals of the isle for meat, leather, and bones. This practice evolved into Kerkian hunting of seals, who quickly mastered the craft themselves.
Kerkian Paper Industry Kerkian paper is highly advanced and also a core part of Kerkian society, as books and knowledge keeping is an integral part of Kerkian society. Kerkian paper is a state industry, and is thus by nature also an industry primarily used by the clergy. Kerkian paper is absurdly easy to make, and also absurdly cheap and for the most part long lasting. Paper made by the Kerks is just superior in many ways, and its production is considered as state secret. This flourishing industry is controlled primarily by the Coladdic clan, and is the primary foundation of the Kycer’s economy.
The Doil (Social Services) The Doil is a Kycer institution which acts as a form of proto-social service to the people of Caslan. Each city has a special granary set aside to doll out grains and vegetables to struggling individuals and clans which may have fallen on hard times. Getting onto the Doil is easy, but this social service does come with consequences. Those who remain on the Doil for too long or are caught abusing it can be subject to horrifying consequences. These consequences can include being conscripted to serve the Doil in pseudo-slavery as a farmer who provides 90% of their crop to the Doil, or even being sold into slavery. The Doil has a weird way of lifting half of those put on it out of poverty, and the other half being put into further misery.
Territory
Physical Terrain
Caslan is primarily a very alpine land, with a long snowy season and is very hilly. The island is home to a wide range of wildlife, with limited fertile plains, but is home to a very vibrant amount of sea life. Normally, the island has very dense forests, but the farther south one goes on the isle, the clearer it becomes.
Peninsula of Seals Caslan’s northern coast is known as the Peninsula of Seals, which as the name suggests holds a sizable seal population. Most seal hunts take place here, and is generally considered the coldest region on the isle. The Peninsula of Seals is particularly unique in its terrain, as it has large and extensive beaches which go into small tundra plains before it heads into forests. In the central part of the peninsula is a massive series of hills and cliffs.
Felgord Bay South-west of Caslan is a long bay in which goes into more shallow water and smaller marshes. The Felgord Bay is a major trade port and shipyard, but is also treacherous to navigate for inexperienced sailors. Felgord Bay is known for the large amounts of shellfish which are farmed by local Okan communities which existed for thousands of years, and it is also known to be the main body of water which keeps the port city of Felgord afloat.
Inner Highlands Beneath the Barka mountains are the inner highlands, divided by the mountains between the north and southern side. The highlands jut up more so than other hills of Caslan, noticeably higher than other hills across the isle. The Inner Highlands is considered highly valued ground due to its large nodes of stone, iron, and gold. The highlands are normally also the stomping grounds of the Beurians, although their clans normally herd in the areas between the highlands and the forests.
Barka Mountains The Barka Mountains have various names depending on who is asked. To the Kerks, the Barka Mountains are known as the ‘God’s Realm’, who believe the mountain gods live upon. To the beastfolk, they are simply known as the Inner Mountains. The mountains are popular places to build the kerkian tomb cities, as the stone and relative isolation make them perfect for the clans to build the vast structures in, far off from clan conflict.
Barka River The eastern-most river which flows from the northern side of the Barka Mountains which flows into rapids and small waterfalls until it reaches the sea. The Barka River is usually difficult to navigate.
Lake Fergar Lake Fergar is Caslan’s only major lake, and is also its deepest lake as well. Not a lot is known about the lake, although it is heavily implied that it isn’t a naturally built lake at all. The Fergar river flows into the lake, and much of its terrain is weird.
Fergar River The Fergar river is a western most river which flows from the very southern end of the Barka mountains and into the Fergar lake, where it divides into two smaller tributaries into the sea. The Fergar river is usually very peaceful and easy flowing, but is also unnaturally shallow. Much like Lake Fergar, the river itself is considered abnormal.
Sichok Fields The Sichok fields is an abnormal field in southern Caslan which is simply an abnormal grassy field, with few trees and small forests. The field is strange for being very flat, and thus is also very windy. The field is considered the ‘safest’ area on the isle.
Political Map
Caslan is divided more around generalized clans then formal realms, but a lot of the borders are also based on the old stomping grounds of Okan and Beurian kingdoms as well. Most villages may not always consider themselves in one territory or region, as clans usually build their own ‘borders’ based on clan alignment.
Astar
Capital - Helgave
Cultures - Geuderian, Ulkad Okan, Elven
Ruled By - Geuders
Astar is formally the true ‘capital’ of Caslan, but is not the host of the Kycer itself. Astar is home of the infamous Geuder clan who settled the region and made the capital of Helgave its home. Astar is run more like a feudal territory then other parts of Caslan, and is highly developed despite it not being a center of trade for the island itself. The Geuders, an ancient family which is known for its feud with the equally ancient Coladdic clan, is famed for their military prowess and unity of their family.
Telgan
Capital - Kel Felgord
Cultures - Geuderian, Midad Okan, Beurian
Ruled By - Elkwoods
Telgan is one of the richer northern provinces, primarily thanks to the city of Kel Felgord. Telgan is famed for its iron and gold mines, as well as its impressive tomb cities, but is poorly developed. Much of the land is cultivated by beastfolk slaves, with Kel Felgord being a center of slavery itself with its large slave slums which surround the city. Telgan is ruled by the Elkwoods, a clan famed for its pragmatic approaches and their close relationship with the Geuders, whom they descend from. Elkwoods have a long standing feud with the Hazels, and often their large scale retaliations between each other has left Telgan in a state of trouble due to historic failures against them.
Pemolas
Capital - Kel Gaven
Cultures - Geuderian, Ulkad Okan, Elven
Ruled By - Hazel
Pemolas is one of the larger provinces and also the poorest of Kerkia’s provinces, with few resources and little development. However, Pemolas is also the youngest province, its identity tied to the upstart clan known as the Hazels. The Hazels are unique in many circumstances, being dubiously pragmatic in war, and also deeply honorable. Unnaturally kind to non-kerks, the province of Pemolas is also the most unified. The Hazels are very skilled generals and warlords, having beaten the more richer Elkwoods in fight after fight. Pemolas use to be divided between the Geuders and the Elkwoods, which is why neither clan likes the Hazels, but only the Geuders gave up on trying to reclaim their lands and openly embraced the Hazels as apart of their family.
Ushas is a very diverse region with many different cultures and kerks which intermingle in the general area. The region is interlocked between the Coladdic and Landdaric, and is enriched off its vodka production. Ushas however is also deeply divided between Humans, Okan, and Beurians who all openly despise one another, giving the local Kerks the awkward position of policing them. Ushas is ruled by the ever troubled Pinewoods, a diplomatic family which is associated with the Coladdic, but has major sympathies with the Geuderians and Landdaric.
Nasklan
Capital - Kel Dargath
Cultures - Geuderian, Norad Okan, Elven
Ruled By - Hydov
Nasklan is the northernmost province on the Peninsula of Seals, and relies heavily on its fisheries and seal hunting for its economy. Although enriched by this trade, Nasklan is also horribly underdeveloped, leading to the region to be plagued by the undead. Nasklan is home to the largest elven population on the isle, along with the largest metal craftsmanship industries along with it. Nasklan is famed for its armored warriors and raiding musters, and its general isolation keeps the land far away from the troubles of Kerkian politics. It is ruled by the Hydov family, a Geuderian aligned family which are extremely distant relatives. The Hydovs tend to value their relationship to the Okan, much like the Hazels, and thus often tend to adopt them into their own family. Hydovs are also the only Kerkian clan to have a tomb city lost to them, and often are looked down upon for this.
Hilgas
Capital - Kel Loch
Cultures - Coladdic, Midad Okan, Beurian
Ruled By - Coladdic/Coldfinger
Hilgas is not the heart of Caslan, and is a deeply under developed land, despite what the Coladdic think of it. Hilgas is the host of the Kycer, with many of its tomb cities, mines, and paper industries within it. The city of Kel Loch however is Caslan’s smallest city, and the deep wilderness is ruled almost primarily by the Beurians. Despite this, it is the land inhabited by the Coldfinger clan. The Coldfingers is the tribe of Mel, although the name Coladdic and Coldfinger may as well mean the same thing. The clan is highly influential, deeply religious, and also stupidly conservative. Coladdic, while also being the general name of the culture most associated with them, is also highly devolved to the general groups of clans which provide priests to the Kycer.
Fesdan
Capital - Gangave
Cultures - Coladdic, Midad Okan, Beurian
Ruled By - Gasner
Fesdan is Kerkian’s eastern most province and also one of its poorest. Fesdan doesn’t have a lot to trade, but it does have a lot of settled Beurians who work as laborers. Poorly populated, the region is deeply religious and conservative, and its main goal for years was the construction of a tomb city for its Zupan. Fesdan is ruled by the Gasners, a smaller clan which broke off from the Coladdics and founded Gangave. Gangave used to be an Okan city, but was brutalized and destroyed, and was rebuilt by the Gasners. Although the clan is dedicated to religious affairs, their true main goal has been construction.
Lowglan
Capital - Kel Trach
Cultures - Landarric, Soukad Okan, Human
Ruled By - Brav
Lowglan is the only major province owned by the Landarric Kerks, and is also a center of trade. Lowglan is strange, being not the richest Kerkian province, or even the most developed, but being a busy port for which trade comes in. Kel Trach is also Caslan’s largest city, and this is primarily because of the Port Pact with Orduin. Kel Trach is littered with drydocks, warehouses, and houses Caslan’s fleet. It is ruled by the prestigious Brav family, one of Caslan’s richest families. The Bravs often are considered a very neutral family, who openly do not involve themselves in the Kycer, and often are diplomatic to outside forces to better help their trade.
Olgan
Capital - Port Uvan
Cultures - Landarric, Soukad Okan, Human
Ruled By - Council of Uvan
Olgan has a strange history, as Uvan use to be primarily an Okan city which was protected by the Ferdgave rivers which acts as a barrier to its core lands. Fertile and highly valued, Olgan was eventually settled by a group of feuding Kerkian clans and the port city sat as another province of Lowglan. However, Olgan eventually exploded into violence, and the Zupans were ousted. The Kycer put a small group of Baruns in charge of the region, who have remained in power since, a separate republic which is run much like a miniature Kycer within Olgan. This small republic is effectively run by peasants, and is one of the freest (and richest) regions in Caslan due to its farms and fields.
Monsters and Beasts
Necromancery and curses have a very bad habit of producing what the Kerks refer to as ‘blights’, a ceaseless array of cursed and undead creatures which arise naturally that inhabit Caslan’s countryside. Careless necromancers are often to blame for raising these abominations and not putting them down, and will occasionally cause trouble.
Husk When Necromancers gather bodies, the usually dry and decaying bodies are collected into pits within the Tomb Cities and raised as Husks. Husks are abnormal zombies, as Husks are not a single undead entity, but rather several. Organs, dismembered limbs, and skeletal fragments all are jumped to life to form a full Husk. These creatures are unnaturally difficult to destroy, and can use various body parts to better kill their prey. Husks tend to ‘eat’ their prey, which is used to regain and assimilate body parts into themselves to remain whole. Husks tend to be slow moving, but unlike Lyches, are not vulnerable to fire.
Revenant Revenants are cursed beings, who die either so angry and so betrayed that instead of dying outright, they will continue to rise up from the dead till they are appeased. Revenants are unnaturally born undead, usually the product of necromantic spells or powers. Revenants cannot die, but instead will arise regardless of circumstance or destruction to continually hunt their prey. Revenants also are partly intelligent, but are so single minded that they cannot be reasoned with. Revenants cannot be truly destroyed till either their victims is dead, or are appeased in some other manner. Normal ways to deal with Revenants is by sealing them away to a point they cannot possibly escape. Necromancers usually advise not trying to destroy Revenants, as each time they return, they tend to grow more stronger, horrifying, and resilient.
Bog Lych Lyches are basically mummified corpses which are brought back as undead stalkers and murderers which haunt their prey. Bog Lyches are variants of mummified remains of those who drowned in bogs, and arise from them. Bog Lyches, like most, tend to remain near graves unless summoned by necromancers or controlled by them. Bog Lyches are the weakest of the Lyches, but are also the most stalkerish, and are unknown to ambush by bursting from the ground and dragging their victims into the bog itself. Like all Lyches, they are usually very vulnerable to fire.
Drowned Lych Lyches are basically mummified corpses which are brought back as undead stalkers and murderers which haunt their prey. Drowned Lyches are somewhat mummified remains of those who drowned, and bloat inside watery groves until they are attracted by prey. The Drowned are most easy to spot, as they are the slowest and most deformed of the Lyches. Drowned are also the hardest to kill. Drowned Lyches are mortifyingly difficult to kill by normal means, as they rarely ever leave the water where they are at an advantage. Although immune to fire while underwater, they are surprisingly easy to set aflame, with their entire bodies bursting into flames when outside the water.
Mountain Lych Lyches are basically mummified corpses which are brought back as undead stalkers and murderers which haunt their prey. Mountain Lyches are mummified remains of ice bound bodies which died in the icey hills and mountains, basically ice mummies who had frozen in place. Mountain Lyches are terrifying enemies, being able to casually appear from the ice and attack without warning. Although easy enough to kill, their claws can cause almost instant frostbite. Mountain Lyches are dormant normally, but unlike other Lyches can ‘move’, usually towards colder climates if their old graves become too ‘busy’ or warm.
Rot King A weapon of the defensive necromancer, Rot Kings are unique undead abominations which are guardians of Necromancer tombs, but also a sign to not trespass on their groves and studies. Rot Kings are bodies infused with undead biting insects and flies, which swarm inside and around the body as a mass. These Rot Kings are held together by a magic cloak which raises dead insects around it to join in the Rot King’s festering. These beings act as turrets, sending out the swarm of biting insects to tear into enemies with horrifying results. Without the use of magical means or an absurd amount of fire, Rot Kings normally can just decimate bandits or adventuring raiders who disturb a Necromancer who had built it.
Rat King Rat Kings work in a similar way to Rot Kings, except the main difference is that undead rodents and small critters are used. While not as effective, their construction and use is very different. Rat Kings are built in cities and tomb cities as guardians and as patrolling abominations to attack would be thieves. Necromancers usually do not build Rat Kings normally, but only during a time of emergency, as the undead abominations do not always differ between enemy and neutral targets. Rat Kings are often sometimes used for more nefarious purposes, deployed in rural settings to cause chaos or to attempt assassinations of a Necromancer’s enemies. Rat Kings are considerably easier to kill then Rot Kings, but are a lot more devastating in general.
Vaymar The Vaymar are cursed vampires, cursed primarily by Mel Coldfinger, with eternal damnation. Vaymar ultimately are vampires of a sort, bound to an oozing ‘blood sludge’ which is waterborne. This cursed ooze turns its victims into the Vaymar, who become addicted to it and can only satiate themselves on cannibalism. At first, these creatures when remaining in this state are paler, having unnatural speed, and abnormal strength. However, the curse grows stronger the more they indulge, becoming more and more inhuman until a more freakish, balding, and demonic looking figure seems to emerge. Vaymar are cursed beings, eventually succumbing to their bloodlust and getting themselves killed, or feasting in secret for years. The cursed ooze eventually will blacken and die, but in its wake will raise the already deceased as undead. Vaymar also have a host of other ‘inconveniences’, such as being unable to read from books, being harmed by sunlight, being unable to look at themselves in the mirror, and so on.
Ghoul Ghouls are, for the most part, Vaymar who have degenerated to such a degree that they lose much of their abilities. While Vaymar are intelligible and aware of their curse, Ghouls are not and are very barbaric, single minded horrors. Ghouls often are a result of a Vaymar starving for blood, and thus result of eating the dead to survive. Ghouls are always hungry and will attack a living creature instantly. Ghouls, like Vaymar, are subject to all the inconveniences and curses of the Vaymar itself, but in some instances get additional curses stacked upon them. Vaymar cannot regain consciousness, and any blood they eat also harms them as well. Ghouls can drink a great deal of blood which they crave, but instantly weaken and become pained as they drink, which is when they are most vulnerable. Ghouls also lose all strength and speed associated with Vaymar, and thus become a sort of ‘living zombie’ of sorts.
Warg Cursed Like many cursed beings, being Warg Cursed is perhaps the ‘least unfortunate’ curse to be damned with. Warg Cursed during the day or forced to turn into massive wolves who prowl as any normal animal, but during the night turn into normal humanoid beings. This curse has some odd specifics, as the warg beast is automatically made into a loyal servant of the one who cursed them, with the cursed being unable to resist the words of their curser. The cursed being also constantly hungers for the flesh of their own family as a cursed being, and is damned to witness the mental images of the Warg’s kills. The Warg itself partly demonic in nature, having a hyper intelligence different from the one it is bound to. These curses are sometimes put onto the tombs of important Kerks to gravely inture grave robbers who find themselves made into unwilling slaves of the descendents they tried to rob.
Leech Cursed Leech Cursed are essentially undead being who slowly are killed and turned into terrifying abominations over time. Leech Cursed begin as common humanoids who become suddenly attractive to a common type of leech in Caslan, who hook onto their bodies, die, and then become undead. These undead leeches then suck the blood and hunt the cursed being relentlessly, eventually consuming them by sucking down their blood. Effectively becoming a being similar to that of a Rot King, the Leech Cursed are eternally pained by their existence as zombified walking leeches. Leech Cursed, once fully digested by the leeches, usually are dominated by necromancers who use them as guardians of the tomb cities, specifically the tomb cities located in marshy lands.
Ent Cursed The Ent Cursed are cursed to eventually become walking undead trees, a strange and mortifying concept which is brought to life by Gyloist necromancers. The cursed beings are ritualistically murdered and their bodies mulched into a tree, which kills the tree and springs it back to life. This cursed being is tortured eternally within it, but it is capable of moving and is infused with all manner of dark powers and auras. Ent Cursed are basically moving trees, which conjure undead birds to swarm its prey, can ooze acidic sap when it is damaged, and conjure ropes to hang nearby enemies and convert them into zombies. Ent Cursed are usually directed against traitors, and are unleashed against the traitor clan by the Necromancers, which then pollute the area with necromantic power.
Resurger Resurgers are undead beings very similar to revenants, half burned corpses which are ‘blessed’ rather than cursed. When a Kerkian family is decimated by a raid, a sympathetic necormancer will sometimes use a ritual by burning the undead to raise up a ‘Resurger’, a being made from the ashen flesh and bones of the burned dead. Resurgers take up flaming weapons and always are covered in light flame. These undead beings are then blessed with all manner of powers, the most potent of which is their aura of withering, which unnaturally ages those around it. Resurgers are terrifyingly powerful, capable of wiping out entire Kerkian clans as a single entity. Resurgers only go away once their vengeance is complete, and can be reborn from the same ash pile they spawn from. Resurgers, unlike Revenants, can be destroyed by disrupting the ash pile they spawn from, or by convincing a member of the Kerkian family which helped build the Resurger to sacrifice themselves in the pile.
Haunt Of the most powerful undead of the isle, Haunts are most doom bringing. Haunts are wraiths of sorts, effectively ghosts bound to armor but are granted all manner of twisted gear and enchantments which make them juggernauts against their enemies. Haunts are built normally by Necromancers, and the soul which inhabits them is a necromancer themselves, capable of conjuring undead beings to its aid. Haunts are very single minded and their power comes from their enchantments. Haunts usually have swords bathed in dark magic, which rot the metal and flesh of those it touches, they have unholy auras which unnaturally age those around them and turn weaker willed beings into ghoulish undead slaves. Haunts also tend to be given cursed armor which can reflect damage done to them onto their enemies. When Haunts are killed, they are not fully destroyed, but instead linger and try to latch onto their enemies far into the future to return to the place of their defeat and become new Haunts. Their images drive those they fight to madness.
Raptor Raptors are not undead, but are still dangerous beasts. Raptors are large 6 feet tall reptilian creatures which travelled with the Kerks when they invaded Caslan. They are upright animals, who hunt in packs of usually 12 to take down larger pray like stags and bears, and are a menace across Caslan. Raptors are abnormally intelligent, and their packs tend to keep to the inner parts of the isle itself. Raptors are dangerous carnivores, but while they may hunt Okan, Humans, and Elves, they refuse to hunt Kerks and Beurians. Beurians can easily kill a pack member or two with their own strength, but Kerks are oddly avoided by the creatures.
Factions
Coladdic Loyalists In the Kycer’s politics, there are many political factions, but the biggest one is the conservative faction led entirely by the Coladdic clan and its aligned clans. The Coladdic loyalists are stubborn members of the Kycer, deeply rooted in tradition and religion, and view outsider influence on the Kycer with immediate hostility. Although its safe to say Mel Coldfinger is a member of this faction, his influence and interest in it is debatable. The Coladdic loyalists are more interested in keeping all Kerkian affairs under their own control and using the Kycer to better control Kerkian society. The main political avenue of the clan is encouraging faithfulness, defending the status quo, and brutally suppressing attempts by the Zupans from ruining the Kycer’s politics.
Geuder Loyalists Opposed to the Coladdic are the Geuders, an ancient feuding family which has been both ally and enemy of the Coladdic. The Geuders may be a part of a clan opposed to the extreme conservatism of the Coladdic, but they are best thought of as the clan whose policies are more aligned solely to the ambitions of the Geuders themselves. Geuder Loyalists take on the causes of the Geuders which can change depending on the situation, their ultimate goals are to expand the influence of the Geuders and usurp control of society from the Coladdics. The Geuders take on various political causes, and have a strange melding of coalitions amongst slaves, foreign interests, merchants, and the nobility. This balancing act of the Geuders is also difficult to maintain.
Scribes of Gangave The Scribes are a respectable group of history makers and authors who live in a college in Gangave, which set up a guild of national libraries in most Kerkian cities. The scribes take on all manner of Caslan society to serve as historians, account writers, and philosophers to better look into the world. The scribe’s greatest patron is Mel Coldfinger, who enriches the guild and often takes on their highest members as apprentices. The scribes have a very relaxed reputation as legitimate and honest historians, who will go to absurd lengths to understand every facet of history. Scribes are honest Historians however, and their works tend to be popular more amongst the Kerks then foreign courts. The scribes are also very politically neutral, and will also go to equally absurd lengths to distance themselves from the Kycer.
The Unbroken One of the oldest organizations in Caslan is the Unbroken, a group of Okan bandits and thieves who used to resist the Beurian occupation of their cities, but became a common gang of thugs when the Kerks took over. The Unbroken are mostly a thieves guild, whose ranks are made up primarily of runaway slaves, bandits, and criminals who inhabit the underground of Kerkian society. Although most of their higher members are Okan, many poorer Kerks tend to join their ranks for quick money. The Unbroken tend to have a very negative view of the Kerks, and have little to no respect for the Kycer. Free willed, their greater goal is to free the slaves of Caslan, which makes them increasingly an ally of the Geuders and an arch enemy of the Coladdic. The Unbroken had some role in the Slave Revolt, but were uprooted by Mel Coldfinger.
The Blackhand The Blackhand are a guild of assassins and spies who provide their services to Kerkian society for coin and tolerance, a strange group which operates underground and far away from the prying eyes of the Kycer itself. The Blackhand earns much of their income from things the Kerks consider distasteful, such as assassination. Blackhand members are brought on from only specific backgrounds, with the Blackhand believing only those born of parents with unique traits for their guild can join them. This tends to make the Blackhand very diverse in race as much as skill. Okan, Elven, and Human members are common in the Blackhand, who work alongside the sons of hunters, serial killers, and even the occasional lich. The Blackhand is deeply tied to politics, but is not a part of any faction, providing the Kycer with experienced members to help defend them against attempted assassinations and spycraft.
Characters
Archlich Mel Coldfinger
Age - Unknown
Titles - The Great Reformer, Cursed and Curser, Winter’s Song, Eternal Patriarch, Death Dealer, Murderer, Friend and Enemy of the Okan, Subjugator and Ally of the Beurian, Bringer of Books, Scroll Maker, Historian
Mel Coldfinger is a long standing member of Kerkian society, and the head of not only the priesthood, but also effectively the tyrant over all of Kerkian society. Mel Coldfinger is physically an undead being, mummified and clothed in an obnoxiously flowing black and purple robe, all but his hands and eyes covered in cloth, and wearing a tall cur cap. Known even for his height, he is a terrifying and studious figure, deeply entrenched in his beliefs and personal motivations. Mel is ultimately a highly pragmatic and intelligent figure, going to great lengths to not only preserve knowledge, but to also collect it. In legend, he learned how to become a lich from the god Melakos, and shared this knowledge only to those he found worthy of it. Mel is weirdly enough known for his kindness, but also his retribution. As a lich, Mel had split his soul into the very ground of Caslan, into one of his oldest tomes, and into the very bloodline of his family. This kind of lichcraft, according to Mel, was painful, difficult, and expensive.
Associates
Naya Coladdic (Female Kerk) - Naya is Mel Coldfinger’s direct descendent and a living apprentice under him, and a member of a minor clergy. Talented, Naya is honored to serve under her ancestor, as Mel prepares her to become another important member of the Kycer. In truth however, Mel enjoys aiding his most direct descendants from his now deceased wife, who he cherishes in his immortality.
Cragov Bystan (Male Kerk) - Cragov is the leader of the Scribes, and its head master over them. Although an older necromancer, Cragov and Mel are good friends and consider each other equals in the histories of Caslan.
Granchkov (Male Kerk) - Granchkov is a Death Knight in the service of Mel, and is one of his favored bodyguards. He is adorned with countless cursed artefacts, his most infamous being the Sword of Exodus, whose strike against mortal flesh can rend against the spirit of its target.
Twine (Male Undead Okan) - Twine is a nameless Okan king who had at one point insulted Mel, who cursed him into becoming his servant. Twine is an eternally reforming undead creature who is fully conscious of his existence, and teleports into Tomb Cities to warn delving grave robbers and intruders to turn back. He is also used to summon those of Mel’s interest to him.
Gra’vyen (Male Undead Elf) - Gra’vyen is an elven lich who had been his apprentice, and showed such skill and majeststy in his crafts as a necromancer that Mel granted him the knowledge of Lichcraft. Gra’vyen has been Mel’s librarian and keeper of his vast book collection, and a powerful being who often despises the politics of the Kycer.
Zupan Dylon Geuder
Age - 45
Titles - Zupan of Astar, The Grim, Minor Priest, Head of the Zupan Assembly
Dylon Geuder is the current patriarch of the Geuder clan, and is a rising star politically in the Kycer. Having joined the Kycer as a reformer, he was also the head of the assembly of Zupans. Dylon is an ambitious man and a near legendary commander, having put down smaller revolts and dealt with bandits harshly, but he believes he has yet to prove himself. Dylon’s grand ambitions however hide his true motives, and that of his family. Dylon has a hateful feud with Shov Coladdic, whom he despises for his staunch and stubborn beliefs.
Associates
Mara Geuder (Female Kerk) - Dylon’s wife and co-ruler in the family. While Dylon is in the Kycer, Mara is back in Astar ruling in his stead. Mara is a very strict woman, much like many Kerkian matriarchs, and is often ruling both her family and the region with an iron fist.
Polchov Geuder (Male Kerk) - Dylon’s son and heir from his second brood, Polchov had proven himself when he help end a feud between several small clans on his lonesome, and oversaw the construction of a new temple. Polchov is currently in the studies to become a priest, which in turn will make him able to join the Kycer. Much like his father, Polchov is ambitious, but is less battle hungry like Dylon, and a very good friend of Zupan Hazel.
Daygov Geuder (Male Beurian) - Daygov was found as a young wandering pup who happened upon the Geuder farmstead and was found sleeping in a shed, likely abandoned by his clan. Dylon decided to adopt the Beurian into his family, who soon became a fanatical member of the clan, being a close friend and bodyguard to Dylon.
Uchov Geuder (Male Kerk) - Brother of Dylon Geuder, a studious necromancer and priest of the family who has considerable influence amongst them. Uchov is very centrist, much to the annoyance of Dylon, who still loves him as a brother.
Tanya Geuder (Female Kerk) - Sister of Dylon and a captain in his family, who leads the militia into battle. Beloved by Dylon, Tanya is influential over her brother’s attitude and policies.
Zupan Shov Coladdic
Age - 61
Titles - Zupan of Hilgas, Head of Council
Shov Coladdic is the elder patriarch of the Coladdic clan, and the Head of Council over all of the Kycer. Shov is an old and staunch archconservative, who grew up mastering the faith even though he is not a necromancer himself. What Shov lacks in magic he makes up for in stubbornness and political mastery over the rituals of the Kycer. Shov is best described to have a very ugly set of features, and generally has a long history of denying the Geuders further political power in the Kycer. Although a Coladdic, he has a nasty and toxic relationship with most of his family, and is avoided even by Mel Coldfinger himself. Due to Shov’s age and mastery in the Kycer, most of the Coladdic faction looks up to him to lead them against the ambitions of Dylon Geuder, whom he has a vicious rivalry with.
Associates
Taspov Beusdov (Male Kerk) - Taspov is currently the other Head of Council in Caslan who joined Shov as co-ruler on a joint ticket. Although Taspov is a skilled politician in his own right, he is considerably meek in comparison to Shov’s shadow and acts more as his lackey, a political trouble which he fears will be his legacy. Unlike Shov, he is a necromancer, but not a very good one, a surprise and disappointment to many members of the Kycer.
Yila Coladdic (Female Kerk) - Shov’s wife and matriarch of the Coladdic clan, who also happens to be a ceremonial priest in the Kycer. Although Shov is not a mage, Yila is, and is a very good one at that. Yila, like many Kerkian matriarchs, are very brutal and cold women, something which Shov comes to love.
Darsov Coladdic (Male Kerk) - Darsov is Shov’s son and heir from his first brood, who shares many of his father’s beliefs and convictions, but is more hot headed and spiteful towards the Geuders. Unlike other heirs, Darsov was solely trained in the Kycer’s politics in the hopes he will become the next Head of Council after Shov passes.
Drasken (Male Beurian) - Drasken is a Beurian bodyguard and slave of Shov who follows the Head of Council wherever he goes, having been bought and trained for the sole purpose for his own protection.
‘Big Toe’ (Male Lun’Kerk) - Grandmaster of the Blackhand, a Lun’Kerk assassin and son of a spy. ‘Big Toe’, as he is named, does not in fact have big toes, but has abnormally smaller ones. Although skilled, he and Shov are in a deep political alliance in the hopes of bringing the Blackhand as a formal institution into Caslan society, in return for some dirty dealings.
Zupan Pelkov Elkwood
Age - 55
Titles - Zupan of Telgan, Minor Priest
Pelkov Elkwood is an important figure in the Geuderian faction in Caslan, and is generally considered a very divisive figure. Although he sides with the Geuderians, he is politically conservative, and also one of the faction’s richest members. Pelkov however is often described as a greedy creature, who is more interested in usurpation for his own family then actually improving his own realm, much to the dismay of his allies. Pelkov is also considered extensively cruel towards non-Kerks, and is arch enemies with the rising Hazel clan.
Associates
Trema Elkwood (Female Kerk) - Pelkov’s wife and true power in the Elkwood clan, a cruel and brutal woman who has raised all three broods of Pelkov’s children with considerable efficiency. Trema has no love towards her husband and bickers often with him, and often rules Telgan with an iron fist while he is away in the Kycer.
Galya Elkwood (Female Kerk) - Pelkov’s daughter and heir from his first brood, a well trained priest and upcoming matriarch with her own family. Although equal to her father in authority, Gayla doesn't share his personality and motivations, and is more content with remaining more neutral.
Lokov Elkwood (Male Kerk) - Pelkov’s brother and a necromancer, a priest of Telgan and a Ceremonial Priest in the Kycer. Lokov is one of Pelkov’s only true friends and companions, and both have a brotherly fondness towards one another.
Quilkov Elkwood (Male Kerk) - Pelkov’s brother, although neither share much love towards one another. Dedicated to his family, Quilkov leads his own elite band of Ghilmen, and is highly protective of the Elkwood clan and its interests.
Anyan (Male Okan) - An Okan slave of Pelkov and his personal servant. Although abused and meek, Anyan secretly works as a spy for the Unbroken, and in turn, the Hazels.
Zupan Duman Hazel
Age - 24
Titles - Zupan of Pemolas, Friend of the Okan
Dunman was not the first choice for Patriarch by his clan, but his upbringing and deeds became known after he and several members of his clan counter-invaded their own tomb city to free it from the grasp of wandering bandits, and then led impressive raids against the Elkwoods. When both the zupan and his heir died in a suspicious ambush, the clan chose Duman to lead them, and has since made strides that has impressed his allies and angered his enemies. Dunman made trade deals with Lavar Brav, reasserted the clan’s loyalty to the Geuders, and reformed their clan’s militia into a more professional militia. Duman is known for his strong sympathies towards the Okan, whom the Okan clans consider him friend.
Associates
Ula Hazel (Female Kerk) - Ula is Duman’s wife, who is abnormal for the Kerks for being both very calm and kind hearted towards her family, even though she is by all means a matriarch of the clan. Ula continues to struggle keeping the clan in line alongside her husband, but is truly loving of Duman.
Jaskov Hazel (Male Kerk) - Duman’s brother from the 2nd brood and his chosen heir. Jaskov had been both a great aid to Duman during their travels, but also is mostly equal in skills. Jaskov however is very hot headed, and deeply invested in the feud between the Hazels and the Elkwoods.
Benton (Male Okan) - Leader of the Unbroken, a thief and petty thug who bribed and blackmailed his way into a position as criminal overlord of Caslan. Benton is normally spiteful of Kerks, but aligns himself with Duman out of mutual interests. Benton hates the Elkwoods in particular, as he had grown up a slave under their iron fisted rule.
Kas Hazel (Female Okan) - Kas is a supposedly minor adoption of the clan, when Duman’s father had adopted her due to her creativity and intelligence. Kas joined Duman in his adventures, but also became influential for getting him to side more for her people due to their friendship. Her main interests have been construction and building.
Lurchov Hazel, The Sunken (Male Undead Kerk) - Lurchov is a hermit lich who lives in the Hazel’s tomb city and struck up a friendship with Duman, and was convinced to act as the Hazel's main priest. Although still a fervent isolationist, Lurchov aids the young patriarch in his quests.
Zupan Lavar Brav
Age - 58
Titles - Zupan of Lowglan, Minor Priest
Lavar Brav is a very political member of the Kycer, despite the objections of his family, with his main political philosophy being the stability and safety of the republic itself. Lavar is a priest, but is very secular at heart and is more interested in mediation and pragmatic statesmanship. He is popular amongst the lower members of the house, but is unpopular for his rising stardom by Dylon and Shov. Lavar has a friendly relationship with the Hazels, an upstart family of the Geuder’s political faction, and a mentor to many new members within the Kycer. Lavar is often described as a legendary orator and writer, his seething speeches and professionalism has been the bane of many of his rivals within the Kycer.
Associates
Lena Brav (Female Kerk) - Lavar’s wife and matriarch of the Brav clan, but unlike many kerkian Matriarches, she is far more collected, calm, and concerned for the well being of her clan. That concern often means Lavar is pushy towards her clan to better themselves and aid in the clan’s success, regardless of their own personal troubles.
Torpov Brav (Male Kerk) - Torpov is Lavar’s son and heir from his first brood, a well learned and mercantile Kerk who travels often as a merchant. Lavar is particularly proud of Torpov for his engagement in politics and his starting job as a Ghilman captain.
Cilov Brav (Male Kerk) - Lavar’s brother and his spiteful rival in the family, a merchant by trade and a envoy of the Kycer. Cilov despises Lavar’s political scheming and rejection of neutrality. Cilov works with other members of the family to usurp the position of Patriarch from Lavar.
Tesner Uman (Male Human) - Tesner is one of Lavar’s friends and a merchant of Caslan, who primarily sells paper. Tesner and Lavar share many political convictions and beliefs, but also a unique taste for writing and speech. However, Tesner is not a Kerk and does not stand to get into the Kycer, but Lavar views him as equal to or better then his peers.
Lila (Female Okan) - Lavar’s personal servant and slave, although is more treated as family. Lavar views Lila fondly for being curious and well educated, having once been a scribe before her poor parents sold her to pay off debts.
History: The High Chiefdom of Bestia (Known to many as The Bestia Horde) was once the foremost frontier region of the empire, despite its lush greenery it proved hazards from odd weather, hostile human tribes, elven extremist seeking to imitate the Pale, and of course countless beastmen remnants who were not chased all the way northward.
The Orduin Empire flip-flopped between controlling the land and loosing it over the years. They were making significant strides before the bug invasion, with no major conflicts, the Imperial Legions became more and more obsessed with controlling the region and had begun using it as a staging ground for northern expeditions.
However, when the empire fell so too did all authority it had in the region. The Imperial garrisons either returned south or defected entirely, joining with local tribes.
During the days of chaos many would be unifiers rose up in the wild region, only to be scattered by outside forces, or at the hands of a rival warlord or chieftain.
In the year 2610 a Beastman by the name of Auguba, born with far greater intellect than was common for one of his kind; managed to subdue the other tribes and clans, uniting beastmen, human, and even the Elven Blood Clans into a power known as the High Chiefdom of Bestia, or to those outside of the land, the Bestia Horde.
For years the horde only partook in small-scale raids, however in the year 2617 IC the Bestia Horde took advantage of a war between the Valanor Accord and the Free Emirates of the Northern Wastes; to invade the Free Emirates while they were weakened, taking most of the now defunct nation's land for themselves, killing and enslaving all who didn't flee.
The Bestia Horde as continued to terrorize the region, an ever constant source of harassment for the Valanor Accord, along with Thakis, The Yuukoman Empire, the Duchy of East Orduin (now belonging to the Roaming-Hills), and even the Kycer of Caslan. However, the High King of the horde has begun to acquire more exotic tastes, and now looks to the south for a new source of entertainment.
Government: The “unity” presented by Auguba is a hoax, and in reality the tribes and clans of the region simply pay a monthly tribute to Auguba, and join him in raids. Besides that they are free to act as they desire, when they desire, including wars with each other.
Culture: The High Chiefdom is made up of various tribes, clans, and warbands from the races of human, elf, and most of all beastmen. The human tribes in the region are many, and fierce warriors in their own right, yet compared to larger barbarian hordes such as the Roaming-Hills they are little more than glorified bandits; however when pared with the other species in the Horde of Bestia, they prove to be an often decisive force in battle. Even so, despite being one of the region's initial inhabitants they are at the bottom of what passes for a social caste within the horde; which while not really enforced or written down, is felt by how the other creatures look down upon and mock the humans. They are still however, treated much better than any outsider would be, doubly so for slaves taken from raids in the lands beyond.
Before the fall of the Empire, elven extremist groups attempted to reawaken the Pale, or otherwise find the secrets to their power; crafting communes where they thought the Pale stadged their invasion. However, they all failed and those that didn’t mysteriously disappear turned to the savage ways of the local inhabitants, becoming what is known as the Elven Blood Clans. These Blood Clans carry on many of the ways of their predecessors, preparing particularly agonizing deaths and torture for half-elves and elves who take on human lovers/spouses. They kidnap any elves they find to try and “undo the brainwashing” through physical and psychological breaking. All of this despite the fact that they seem perfectly willing to go on raids with human tribes.
Beastmen make up a large portion of the local inhabitants, with many having fled to the region after the beastmen wars, or returning in the years that followed. They are horrid amalgamations of man and beast, with most barring horns of bulls and goats, and hairy hooved legs, and the heads of animals. Some have tentacles serving as beards or protruding from their backsides, and arms. Others take on horse or bird like features that seem haphazardly grown, without any thought to functionality and purpose.
Others meanwhile have taken on forms that can not be described easily with words. Baring little resemblance to any true animal, instead displaying a visage that has yet to be fully understood.
The beastmen in the region have picked up some of the local ways, and while they are still savages, show some noticeable signs of civility in comparison to their far northern kin.
For example the idea of someone kneeling before you as something to be rewarded rather than mocked, as the beastmen in the region have come to appreciate the idea of someone choosing to follow out of emotions other than fear or dominance. Even so, fear and dominance is still a very rooted belief system in the beastmen halls; which compels them to raid southward by land into the Valanor Accord, the Yuukoman Empire and Thakis or across the sea to Caslan, The Lunar Tribes, and lands beyond.
While purebred Beastmen vary in size and shape, leaving little room to distinguish them, there are a select few sub-species with notable characteristics.
Gnolls: A type of hyena/dog/wolf beastman that spawned from the experiments of mages, attempting to create an artificial beastman to aid the Orduin Empire in the beastmen wars. The Gnolls did indeed fight the other true born beastmen but they also killed most of the mages who made them along with countless other Imperial citizens. In the end they were chased north with the rest of the beastmen at the end of the war. Most of them were killed but they began to procreate with human, elf, and beastman populations; the offspring of which were always indistinguishable from pure-breed gnolls. Some say the Gnolls are just mindless beast, little better than the Beastmen they were spawned to destroy; however do not be fooled, behind every seemingly senseless slaughter there is an overarching agenda at play. The intelligence of the Gnolls is not to be underestimated.
Malum-Satyri: When the Satyri were chased south by the beastmen hoards many were captured and enslaved. Others settled in the northern region, unaware that they were right in the middle of what would become a beastmen hot spot. Years of interbreeding between the Satyri with Beastmen (along with humans and elves on occasion) have created a wicked subspecies known as the Malum-Satyri, a group that maintains many of the cultural aspects of regular Satyri but are generally more mischievous, violent, greedy, and bloodthirsty. Physically they will look more human, elven, or animalistic(beastmen) depending on how much of each species their ancestors interbedded with. A Malum-Satyri with a beastmen father will have more obvious animal traits than one who has a history of humans in their lineage. Like their sister species, the Malum-Satyri are a matriarchal people, with a significantly higher rate of female birth compared to male births; which lead to what few purebred males they have to be house-keepers whom the village/clan of multiple wives and children are built around. Unlike regular Satyri, Malum-Satyri, especially younger ones, tend to leave the village in search of glory, fortune, a private mate of a foreign species, power, or otherwise make a name for themselves in some way while having some good old fashion fun. It is not until they reach their mid-life that they become more interested in joining or starting a village and the continuation of their species. This overall causes the population levels of Malum-Satyri to be much lower than their sisters in Thakis, doubly so for purebloods, but is by no means too small.
Malum-Satyri Male
Impius-Valaa: Descendants of a Valaa Streak that believed they had lost their ways, and only by reembracing their animalistic heritage could they regain the strength they once had. To achieve this they traveled to the mainland and traveled the world as mercenaries, eventually finding themselves in the far north, beyond the Ishtar map. When they returned years later they no longer held a resemblance to what they once were; fully embracing the ways of the beastmen, with many holding beastmen blood in their veins. These Valaa began interbreeding with the human and elven populations in order to fight against inbreeding. This too changed the Impius-Valaa, into a species that can only be described as uncanny to both human and Valaa alike; giving off a sense of unease that effects many whom they interact with. However despite the resemblance to humans/elves the Impius-Valaa are much more violent and animalistic then main-branch Valaa; while holding the capacity for malice, spite, and evil familiar to creatures of high intelligence; resulting in a species that is the worst of man and animal with few of the good qualities of either. The Impius-Valaa come in the form of bloodthirsty animals always on the hunt for weak and vulnerable prey, or mischievous, pranksters who’s ideas of humor could prove rather morbid or horrifying to those at the butt of the joke. They are a very temperamental species, who can be laughing one minute and then brutally slaughtering something mere seconds later.
Economy:The economy of these lands are in shambles, with raiding being the only real way the hordes gain anything of value. There are farms of barley, wheat, and potatoes, as well as pig, cattle, and chicken; however these farms serve mainly to produce food for the overlords of the land rather than trade with foreign powers. Some of the human tribes in the most southern region are more open to trade, however they are the minority.
Religion:Only the bravest of missionaries dare to venture into the lands of Bestia. And few have ever attempted to study the local customs of the inhabitants and lived to tell others what they found.
Military:The Bestia Hordes are very unorganized in terms of their military ability, however some claim the gnolls have recently taken up more traditional military styles. For the most part every tribe and clan has a warchief that leads it and a number of captains under them. These warchiefs in theory obey High-Chief Auguba, but this is rarely true in practice.
