[OOC] The Seven Cities

[Flagg]

The Seven Cities

...nature has so created men that they are able to desire everything but are not able to attain everything...
- Machiavelli



Pride, Envy, and Avarice are
the three sparks that have set these hearts on fire.
- Dante



Dost thou not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?
- Count Oxienstern



For to the just all the evils imposed on them by unjust rulers are not the punishment of crime, but the test of virtue. Therefore the good man, although he is a slave, is free; but the bad man, even if he reigns, is a slave, and that not of one man, but- what is far more grievous- of as many masters as he has vices
- Augustine of Hippo

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Welcome to Avara.

At the center of the world lies the Dragon's Spine, a large isthmus so named for the ragged mountain range that runs down its length. The Spine joins the vast continents of Geryon to the East and Tityos to the West, and separates the great Cernarian Sea to the South from the Deeping Ocean to the North. The heart of the known world, the Spine has been conquered and colonized by a thousand peoples over many long millenia, and is a melting pot of cultures and a center of maritime and overland commerce. Since the Fall of the Pharazon Empire three centuries ago into a thousand feuding fiefdoms, the Spine has been dominated by the Seven Cities, powerful city-states, many of which are far more ancient than the old empire itself. In their centuries of freedom from the imperial yoke, some cities have vied with one another for dominance of the Spine, while others have founded or refounded their colonial empires. Others still have worked to dominate trade or finance, or have closed themselves off from the world. Now, new continental powers gather their strength and prepare to put the strength of the Seven Cities to the test.

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Welcome!

The basic objective here is simple: players will RP as a city state in Avara, a unique fantasy world, focused on a single, large, strategically crucial isthmus that is home to several powerful city-states. Players would create these city states and their territories, on the verge of a major empire (NPC or player character) preparing to invade and conquer the isthmus. The focus would be on character interaction, intrigue, war, and good story telling, and collaborative world building- my hope is that all players will take part in designing the wider setting in which our cities exist. Remember, our cities (most of them anyway) have coexisted on the Spine for a long time and will have a great deal of history together, so building a shared past and a shared history of the Spine and the wider world is one of the goals here.

This RP take what I call the Tolkien/Martin approach to magic. Magic is real, mysterious, and powerful, but for the most part takes place 'off-screen', and is for aesthetic purposes somewhat subdued or indirect (eg- no undead armies, no races of angels or demons or fairies, no mages throwing fireballs around). Likewise, the RP will take the Martin approach to religion: there are as many religions as we can come up with here, but we will leave it an open question as to whether any of them are true. Conflicting mythos and cosmologies are encouraged.

Furthermore, while multiple sentient species will inhabit this world, I would like to stay away from the elf/dwarf/gnome/orc/goblin mainstays of D+D. Players would be encouraged to give the traditional fantasy races a unique twist, or better yet invent their own! Our tech level would be around that of the 30 Years War, but of course factoring in the existence of magic and fantasy beasts.

Finally, I would like people to complete their NSes and work out histories with other factions, and I will design the map (perhaps with a player's help) AFTER I have some faction-sheets completed. In other words, I want to design the map around how people design their factions, to the extent possible. Since this will take some coordination on my part, I ask everyone to be a bit flexible and be willing to make adjustments to their factions if reconciling all the NSes on the map demands it. The Spine will be roughly 100 miles across (in most places) and 700 miles from end to end, with a mountain range bisected by plenty of passes running down its length.

Please see the following post for setting details and city and faction creation guides.

The Rules

1: GM is the law.
2: Usual rules (No metagaming, powergaming or godmodding as well as captain obvious forum rules)
3: Be cool like the Fonz.
4: Be excellent to each other.
5: No arguing with the GM after I have made a final decision (Note Rule 1). I am open to suggestions, discussion and critique, but please respect when I make a decision.
6: Joining this RP and being accepted means that you accept and acknowledge these rules (Particularly rules 1, 3 and 4).
7: Please, please work with other people when designing your nations. Let's design a really cool world together. Worldbuilding is often the most fun part of these RPs, so let's really get into it.

Chatzy

[Flagg]

WIP

Accepted Nations:

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Races of Avara

WIP

History Timeline of Avara

WIP (Note: the below is meant not to be a constraint but a spur to creativity, in your own histories pls feel free to add to, embellish, ignore, expand on, or reinterpret anything listed here.)

Year In Darkness 100 (YD 100): the Fall of the Pharazon Empire into a thousand feuding kingdoms and petty empires, most centered on Tityos near the old Imperial capital. The Seven Cities reassert their independence from the Empire.

YD 50: the Council of Augurs foretells of a coming catastrophe.

1 Y of the Law (1 YL): The Breaking of the Moon, also known as the Red Night. The moon shatters in the sky, leading to panic and religious ferment across Avara. Justinian appears in southern Geryon, claiming he has defeated the Old Gods in battle and portends a new chapter for humanity.

10 YL: The Foundation of Sacrosanctum and the Justinian Conquest begins. The Kingdoms of Geryon enter 100 years of war.

118 YL: The Justinian Conquest ends, with most of Geryon divided between kingdoms and empires loyal to the God-King and his Temple-City of Sacrosanctum.

200 YL: IC begins

Religions of Avara

Justinianism

Justinian emerged onto the scene a mere two hundred years ago, to the far south of Geryon, but his religion is now one of the most dominant faiths in the world. According to the official theology of the Clerisy, Justinian was originally a human hero frustrated at the arbitrary fates handed down to men from the indifferent heavens. Possessed of righteous zeal for Humanity, Justinian did battle with the tyrannous Old Gods. Through a combination of wits and might, he overcame the Astral Powers and broke their throne in a cosmic battle known as the Breaking of the Moon. His task completed, he descended back down to earth to lead Humanity in person and forge a new world order.

Whatever the truth of these stories, it is clear the Justinian's ascension to godhood is in some way tied to the Breaking of the Moon, since it was shortly after that event that he established his shrine-city of Sacrosanctum and the Justinian Cult. He led the Justinian Jihad and conquered much of Geryon, but has remained relatively quiescent for about a hundred years, and has never tried to lead a military campaign over the Spine.

His is a warlike and political religion, with strict codes of honor, justice and duty to Humanity. Veneration of ancestors and of great figures from Humanity's past is commonplace and encouraged by the Clerisy. Non-humans and practitioners of magic are generally despised by Justinians, who at any rate have little need of the arcane, since they can count on the direct and frequent intervention of their deity and his powerful blessings. Justinians are equally hostile to followers of the Old Gods and followers of the Red Pantheon. Justinianism absolutely prohibits slavery.

Uniquely, Justinians are led in-person by their god. Justinian himself resides in his temple-palace in the massive holy city of Sacrosanctum, far to the south of the continent Geryon, and occasionally comes forth to lead holy wars or settle disputes among his followers. Kings and Emperors loyal to the New God make frequent pilgrimages to him, to hear his divine counsel and receive his blessing, and the god's devoted Clerisy are omnipresent in Justinian nations.

Justinianism is suited to: humans, holy warriors, militaristic nations, strong centralized governments, heroes.

The Old Ways
The Old Ways are a collection the astrological/magical religions that predominated before the Breaking of the Moon. It is less a unified cult than a collection of folk religions and more sophisticated theologies, philosophies and magical practices surrounding dieties variously known as the Celestial Powers, the Fates, the Astral Hierarchy, or the Old Gods. Much of Old Way practice revolves around dream interpretation and reading the stars for portents of the future and command over nature. The Old Ways are thoroughly non-moralistic, and societies that adhere to the Old Gods can differ widely in their political arrangements. Among the Old Gods, the chief deity worshiped is the goddess Uwan, Queen of the Moon. Justinians claim she is overthrown and her power broken, but devotees of the Old Ways claim she rules still from the Shattered Throne, divining the fate of all, even the upjumped Pretender God in Sacrosanctum.

The closest thing Uwanists have to chief religious authority is the Circle of Augurs, an itinerant council of sixteen seers and astrologers.

The Old Ways are suited to: wizards, sages, philosophers. It is also the religion of ancient societies and cultures and is generally favored by aristocrats and reactionaries. These societies will generally have an aristocracy comfortable with and often skilled in magical practice, as well as in discerning portents and signs.

The Red Pantheon

Though the 'divinities' which make it up are ever changing, the so-called Red Pantheon has existed since time immemorial. Avara is a world filled with lurking spirits, mysterious intelligences, and haunted sites of power. Some of these- out of vanity or ambition or for other, more inscrutable motives- have set themselves up as gods. Many of these spirits are bloodthirsty, warlike, and feuding, often devouring each other when they become strong enough to do so. Many grant their followers boons in exchange for blood sacrifices. The gods and demons making up the Red Pantheon are innumerable, and most peoples and tribes who follow the pantheon worship one or a select few of the deities, though some worship the Pantheon as a whole, which they take to be symbolic of the fundamental nature of the cosmos- one of constant battle and unending appetite. Some of the red gods communicate and interact frequently with their devotees, while others remain aloof, answering prayers and rewarding sacrifices only occasionally and indirectly. Likewise, while some of the gods are tied to one specific holy site, others roam the world freely, manifesting themselves wheresoever they please. They are frequently the adopted patrons of the Beastkin races. Additionally, they are frequently sought out by the ambitious or the desperate, who seek to create pacts with them in exchange for material gain, victory on the battlefield, success in love, magical power, or other boons.

The Red Pantheon is hostile to the Old Ways. Its deities despise the celestial and untouchable Old Gods, though the two faiths usually pay little attention to one another and individuals who honor both the Old Gods and the red gods are common. The red gods, likewise, are quite wary and often contemptuous of Justinian, but some are also quite keen to ally themselves with him and his devotees.

The deities most commonly worshiped include: the Scorpion Mother, the Gore Lord, the Mountain Wisdoms, Yzazgrul the Wise, and the Conqueror Worm.

The Red Pantheon is suited to: the ambitious, warlords, shamans, the desperate or vengeful, beastkin, beserkers and warriors, assassins.

OOC Note: alot of diversity is tolerated in the Red Pantheon. You can even create a demon/demigod that will lead your nation or be worshiped by it. I'll need to approve it, obviously. Feel free to expand on the god names given above and make them your own.

Geography & Map of the Spine

Map Coming Soon!

Geographical features of the Dragon's Spine

The Bones: the common name for the mountain range running the length of the isthmus. (Note: feel free to differentiate the mountains in the region of your city. Different sections of the mountains may have different names. Some possible names: the Claws, the Broken Bones, the Crooked Bones, the Blades)

NS Form

Please check out the religion and history timeline tabs above before making your NS.

Please also stick your WIP NSes in the Character Tab with WIP on top of the post, outside the hider

Note: Non City-State factions are allowed, from merchant guilds, transnational religions, etc. I am also willing to consider one or two more players to play as major powers on one or other side of the Spine.

-City/Realm name:
-Flag/Banner:

NATIONAL
-Capital:
-Government Type:
-Currency:
-Population: (one million [humans] is max, and is a very, very large city which will demand a lot of food and have a lot of internal unrest problems. For other races there might be other cases, which I will judge individually.)
-Unique Trait #1:
-Unique Trait #2:
-Unique Flaw #1
-Unique Flaw #2

GEOGRAPHICAL
-Major Towns/Colonies: Please describe any smaller cities, towns, villages, or colonies under your city's control.
-Major Castles/Fortresses:
-Buildings of Interest:
-Geographic Features of Interest:
-Territory Description:

RACIAL
-Majority Race:
-Majority Race Appearance:
-Majority Race Characteristics:
-Minority Races: (If any)
-Minority Race Characteristics:

RELIGION & MAGIC
-State Religion: (If applicable. Either create your own religion or take on a major religion. If you design your own religion, I will add it to the religion tab above so other players might choose it. More than one religion in a state is ofc very possible)
-Religious Information:
-Religion Demographics:
-Holy Relics In Possession:
-Holy Sites Under Control:
-Magical Schools and Curriculum: (What forms of magic are common?)

MILITARY
-Military Details (Focus on unit types, ect. You can keep numbers vague)

NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE
-Head of State/Monarch:
-Ruling Dynasty (If applicable):
-Military Chief (If applicable):
-Religious Head (If Applicable):
-Persons of interest:

CULTURAL
-History: (I will add key historical episodes to the history timeline above.)
-Historical Relations and Greivances
-Cultural Notes

[The Sparrow]

Looks absolutely fantastic, Flagg!

I'll get working on this sheet pronto. I'm looking to create a sheet for the Empire that will be bordering (and eventually aiming to conquer) the Seven Cities. I'm going to paste what I sent Flagg in a PM (as well as some additions I've made in the final paragraph in light of the main post), during a discussion about the various existing empires, that will hopefully provdie a general overview of what the Empire is going to 'be like', while I iron out the fine details of the NS and the history. On that note, please feel free to contact me on this thread or shoot me a PM if you want your city-state to have had specific interactions with the Empire in the past, and I'll see about working it in, as I've intentionally left things vague enough when it concerns the city-states to allow for many different interactions in the past.

Very General Overview (Subject to change)

I'm thinking that perhaps the rival empires are, in comparison to my own empire, relatively young and are currently undergoing periods of expansion to almost grow to match the size of my own nation. My empire, having been confident in its position of superiority over the rest of the continent, will likely not have seen true warfare or conflict for some time. Instead, it has been enjoying the status-quo while the nobility and ruling classes have lived lives of affluence and luxury, so confident in their own greatness that they have paid little attention to the empires growing around them until recently. When they actually did look to the increasingly powerful, rising empires, they will have undoubtedly grown cautious, if not nervous for their continued supremacy over the continent, and are now looking to re-affirm their authority over the region.
With the isthmus just beyond their borders, taking control of the area would not only bolster the confidence of the empire against their growing rivals, but it would also bring a strategically key location under their control that would allow for the Empire to begin to solidify its authority over not only its home continent, but over the entirety of the known world, making the isthmus the perfect target. I'm thinking that the empire, as a result of being by-and-large unchallenged for a long period of time now, will be overly confident and assured of its ability. Consequently this will mean they are of the belief that the conquest of the seven city states shall be no trouble at all, almost entirely underestimating the ability of those city-states. This will then lead to a prolonged conflict that will take place in the roleplay.

In short, the empire's conquest of the isthmus is designed to be a 'message' to the growing rival empires on the mainland that would look to challenge the authority of my own nation, while also providing a strategic landmass that can be used to allow for future expansion by the empire, should the conquest be successful. Not to mention the gigantic boost to their treasury that would come about from controlling the isthmus. However, the flip side is that, should the empire fail in this task, their rivals will surely take the opportunity to pounce, making this a very much do-or-die scenario for the empire.

The Nation Sheet (WIP)

Empire of Abelon

NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Royal Family

Emperor Coreolanus Sheffield (79)

"Archaic. Arrogant. Haughty. Pompous. Misogynistic. Racist.
Our Great Emperor."

Emperor Coreolanus has reigned, unchallenged, for near fifty years and is one of the longest-ruling monarchs in Abelonian history. His reign has seen a steady and progressive advance in technology alongisde the rest of Avara, though little else of note has been achieved. This is not to say his reign has not been successful, however, in fact it could be argued that his has been the most successful of any reigning emperor. No land has been lost, and no great crisis has afflicted the Empire, leading to a prosperous fifty years.
Coreolanus, as a man, is most unpleasant. Similar to his father in that he maintains his viciously misogynistic and racist attitudes towards non-humans with a certain degree of pride, the two have no-doubt contributed to the less than favourable reputation Abelon has gained abroad, with most common folk believing Abelon to be an empire of slavery, racism and tyrannical rule. The truth is entirely different, with slavery having been outlawed almost one-hundred years ago and most of the power being divided among a far 'kinder' nobility, though such things do not make a good setting for the countless horror stories that have been created about Abelon.

Empress Celeste Sheffield, Third Wife of the Emperor (38)
The Empress has little in the way of true power, particularly with such a misogynistic husband, and yet she is officially the most influential and powerful womanan within Alberon, highlighting the sexist society that women live in. As is to be expected, however, women can often have great sway over their husbands and, excluding Coreolanus, misogyny has almost disappeared entirely with the more progressive and open-minded, modern nobility.

Heir Apparent, Prince Oswin Sheffield (44)
Prince Oswin is the embodiment of the 'modern' nobility and ruling class within Abelon, and is absolutely antithetical to his father. Where Coreolanus would refuse to shake hands with any non-human, Oswin would happily embrace them. Having travelled around Avara himself in his youth, Oswin is determined to defeat the views resolutely held by many in foreign lands about Abelon that have been born from a line of successively malevolent emperors, and hopes to usher in a new era of international co-operation with the growing empires that his father considers rivals. Likewise, Oswin was instrumental in bringing about the technological advancements over the past decades that his father initially refused to recognise.
He is, by no exaggeration, beloved by both the nobility and the commonfolk alike. Appealing to the nobility, Oswin has, if nothing else, a gregarious personality and has become a welcome face among many noble households who often meet him at social gatherings and other such social ventures. His devotion to family and country alike has made him a 'role model' for others in the Abelonian nobility, looking to reach heights similar to his own.
On the other hand, Oswin is loved by the commonfolk for his equally charitable nature, and his tendancy to walk among the commoners without a guard, almost creating the impression that he is 'one of them'. This has naturally led to him being viewed by the masses, and nobility alike, as a man to be trusted and his word is heeded at times without question.
He is married with two children, both girls.

Prince Casper Sheffield (39)
Living in the shadow of his elder brother, Prince Casper accompanied him on some of his travels across Avara and will always be seen by his side, though he has never reached the same levels of distinction and popularity as Oswin. It does not appear as though this bothers him, however, and instead an element of brotherly loyalty is evident between the two, with Casper looking to aid his brother in his ventures rather than competing against him in a sibling rivalry.
He is married with no children.

Princess Eleana Sheffield (21)
A rather tragic figure, Eleana is still unmarried, and this does not look to change anytime soon. Always having been a sickly child, an unfortunate accident that left her gruesomely scarred has not aided her image to potential suitors, nor her own confidence. She is softly spoken, on the rare occassions that she does, and is often found with her brother Phelix, their common love of literature having led to the development of a close bond between the two. Coreolanus has all but given up on her, describing her as a 'lifeless waste of space' on the few occasions he does deign to speak with her. As for her other siblings, while none are hostile in the same manner as her father, she cannot help but feel they look upon her as a failure no matter how hard they try to mask it.

Prince Phelix Sheffield (19)
Prince Phelix, unlike his brothers, is not a man keen on tournaments and combat, for he is instead a man of the cultural arts, literature and peace. Needless to say, this has not been welcomed by his father who has taken to shunning him until he becomes a 'real man'. It is likely through their own rejections at the hands of their father that Eleana and Phelix have formed a close friendship and loyalty to one another. Yet despite rejection at the hands of his father and the condescencion from Casper, Phelix has been treated kindly by Oswin, again highlighting his open-minded and amiable nature.
He is unmarried, and has no children.

Princess Gwendolyn Sheffield (17)
Gwendolyn is the daughter Coreolanus always hoped for. As beautiful as she is charming, Gwendolyn has hosts of suitors lining up to win her hand in marriage, and she revels in the attention. While she has never developed particularly strong bonds with her siblings, she instead surrounds herself with other friends of nobility and potential suitors.
She is yet to be married and has had no children.

Crown's Council

Naturally, one man cannot rule over an empire the size of Abelon by himself, and indeed no wise ruler would trust themselves to do so even if they could. The Crown's Council is, for all intents and purposes, the most powerful governing body in Abelon, second only to the Emperor himself. For while the Emperor is not forced to obey anybody, those on the Crown's Council ought to represent the most able minds in their chosen fields and as such, most Emperors tend to lend the Crown's Councillors their ear.

The Lord Seneschal, Celbar Othelen
The Seneschal is, officially at least, the second most powerful figure across the Empire of Alberon. They hold the most regular audience with the Emperor, are responsible for holding meetings of the Crown's Council in the name of the Emperor should they be unable to attend, and they generally speak with the authority of the Emperor himself. Most often however, the Seneschal will be found handling the more trivial duties of an Emperor.

The Lord Marshal, Abaloft Fearlocke
The Lord Marshal holds authority over the land-based military forces of the Empire and is one of the greatest strategic and militaristic minds in the Empire, or at least they should be. Abaloft is very much a 'man of the future', and has dedicated much of his time studying the latest technological advancements in the applications of gunpowder, with firearms being gradually introduced on a larger scale in the Abelonian military under his instruction.

The Lord Admiral, Galain Nolford
Unsurprisingly, the Lord Admiral is the highest office one can reach in the Abelonian Navy. The Abelonian Navy has a rather unorthodox method of appointing a Lord Admiral, in that the six members of the Abelonian admiralty elect one of their own to the post of High Admiral for a period of five years, at the end of which another election is held. It is their belief that through this method, the High Admiral will truly represent the greatest naval mind Abelon has to offer, and it has proven relatively successful since its introduction fifty years ago, with the land-based military considering implementing a similar method somewhere down the line.

The Lord Treasurer, Tholan Safilix
Responsible for handling the economy, it is the role of the Lord Treasurer to preside over the Imperial Treasury and find the means to finance Abelon. Likewise, the Lord Treasurer also oversees the imports and exports of Abelon on a very general sense, with merchants in the empire being granted surprising levels of autonomy, so long as they pay the trade tax set and enforced by the Imperial Treasury.

NATIONAL

Capital:
-Government Type:
-Currency:
-Population: (one million is max, and is a very, very large city which will demand a lot of food and have a lot of internal unrest problems)
-Unique Trait #1:
-Unique Trait #2:
-Unique Flaw #1
-Unique Flaw #2

GEOGRAPHICAL

-Major Towns/Colonies: Please describe any smaller cities, towns, villages, or colonies under your city's control.
-Major Castles/Fortresses:
-Buildings of Interest:
-Geographic Features of Interest:
-Territory Description:

RACIAL

-Majority Race:
-Majority Race Appearance:
-Majority Race Characteristics:
-Minority Races: (If any)
-Minority Race Characteristics:

RELIGION & MAGIC

-State Religion: (If applicable. Either create your own religion or take on a major religion. If you design your own religion, I will add it to the religion tab above so other players might choose it.)
-Religious Information:
-Religion Demographics:
-Holy Relics In Possession:
-Holy Sites Under Control:
-Magical Schools and Curriculum: (What forms of magic are common?)

MILITARY

-Military Details (Focus on unit types, ect. You can keep numbers vague)

CULTURAL

-History: (I will add key historical episodes to the history timeline above.)
-Historical Relations and Greivances
-Cultural Notes

[Slamurai]

I missed the Justinian - Old Gods - Red Pantheon trinity from the good, 'ol Sacrilege War days! I'm not sure what sort of city-state I'm going for just yet.

[Flagg]

I missed the Justinian - Old Gods - Red Pantheon trinity from the good, 'ol Sacrilege War days! I'm not sure what sort of city-stae I'm going for just yet.

@Aristo

Figured I might as well reuse 'em! But religions are not at all limited to those, those are just common ones in the wider world that people are free to do with what they like.

[Slamurai]

@FlaggI found this link that has a little table of some city populations in the early 16th century and details increments to the 17th. Might be helpful for players when trying to gauge how big their city-state population should be.

[Goldeagle1221]

I'm surprised took me this long to get wind of this.

[Flagg]

I'm surprised took me this long to get wind of this.

@Goldeagle1221

That's bc I havent sent out PMs to all my favorite RPers yet, of course. :)

@Aristo Thanks for the graph, will add it to the OP when I get a chance.

[Goldeagle1221]

<Snipped quote by Goldeagle1221>

That's bc I havent sent out PMs to all my favorite RPers yet, of course. :)

@Aristo Thanks for the graph, will add it to the OP when I get a chance.

@Flagg

Luck you, looks like they already are here ;)

[Alfhedil]

The Dominion

The Dominion of Tarixis-Narikuli

National

Capital: Shevaxisi-Torand Sil The land where light cannot reach, and darkness can never leave

Capital Population: 3,726

Type of Government: Theocratic Monarchy, where the royal family's rule is enforced by a rigid caste system and the religion of the Dominion.

Currency: There is no currency beyond the merit of one's actions within the Dominion, and that merit being based upon what an individual provides for their fellow Tarix-Na.

Population: 550,793

Racial demographics: 90% Tarix-Na, 10% Lorghesi

-Unique Trait #1:
-Unique Trait #2:
-Unique Flaw #1
-Unique Flaw #2

Geographical

Other Major Settlements: Keranis-Shul Keltaric That which dwells in the twilight of death

Less a city, and more an always moving place of pilgrimage. The place known as Keranis-Shul Keltaric is always in constant flux with the ebb and flow of Tarix-Na civilization, and any place that could be considered a place of the dead would be such. These places are highly revered by the people of the land, and as such are barred from any travelers that are capable of braving the lands of the Tarix-Na.

Landscape/Wildlife:

The lands of the Dominion vary between heavily forested areas and blasted wasteland, with the former abundant on the coasts and southern peninsula, while the latter is sporadic among the central regions. While similar in some aspects to the plant life beyond the straits, the plant life of the Dominion is very different. Primarily a fibrous life form made of sulfur compounds, the plants of the land operate on a similar cycle to the native fauna. Photosynthesis largely depends upon UV light to fuel the internal processes of the plant, and enable it to break down cyanide gases into ammonia and complex hydrocarbons, both of which are released into the air in a similar manner to the more common plant beyond the Dominion. Native herbivores take in the sulfur rich fibers of the plants and break them down into compounds their own bodies synthesize to construct their tissue and bones, tissues which are then consumed by carnivorous animals and processed in the same way. In large part, the Dominion acts as a separate ecosystem, vastly different from the surrounding lands, yet eerily similar. One of the most important plants to the Dominion is the Harkti bush, a shrub that produces foliage that is capable of trapping oxygen within it's fibers and filtering through gases which the Tarix-Na can breathe. Drying the leaves allows longer use of the plant, as well as enables the Dominion to store supplies of the plant for long journeys. Using this plant, the people of the Dominion are able to leave their lands and travel the world for so long as they have a supply of the Harkti bush's leaves.

Racial

Name: Tarix-Na

Classification: Sentient

Species Description:

The Tarix-Na are a species of humanoids native to the deadly forests of Tarixis-Narikuli, one that is possibly related to the Lorghesi species who also inhabit the lands. They are an upright vertebrate hexapod, distinguished by their primary set of legs upon which they typically stand and move about, their primary set of arms which they use to manipulate and project force, and their vestigial arms located along the sides of their torso. In regards to the legs of the Tarix-Na, they are reverse-jointed with hooved feet, the hooves themselves made of a highly dense material in similar makeup to stone, though has been unconfirmed if that is the actual material. The legs of the Tarix-Na are their primary source of strength, with the average member of the species capable of delivering blows with their hooves of up to 300lbs of force per square inch, as well as enabling the average member to lift five times its own body weight. Upper-body wise, only the upper pair of arms are capable of lifting significant weight, or exerting force in a way similar to other humanoids due to their disadvantage in having only three fingers and a thumb per hand. On the other hand, their vestigial arms are not quite useless. Normally kept folded across their chest, the vestigial arms are commonly used to assist the upper pair in tasks that need a steadying hand, or in some cases they are used for tasks which do not require immediate attention. It is a common sight to see a Tarix-Na engaged in carving with his vestigial arms, while he is also utilizing his primary arms for more labor intensive tasks. The Tarix-Na are also curiously lacking in vocal cords, instead possessing a series of thin bony plates within the throat which are vibrated to project an audible hum, or clicked together through the muscles of the throat. This results in a highly complex language, and a high-degree in difficulty for the average member to speak other languages.

Another distinguishing factor for the species is both their deep-red skin tone, and the varying degree of horns the typical male grows from their skull. These horns vary depending upon region, and familial line, though for the most part the horns are very similar to the antlers of common deer and can branch out to up to thirteen points. Lesser Tarix-Na grow horns more similar to the common ram, or mountain sheep, with the curvature of the horns denoting their status among the commoners. A steeper curve lends the male a role as a sort of consul, while shallower curves tend to leave the male as more or less, a commoner. Skin tone also denotes status among their fellow Tarix-Na, as deeper shades of red are found more appealing, while lighter shades tend to result in the individual being outcast from society. Rarer tones shift over into the burgundy and violet hues, with very few ever being born of a blueish tint. These individuals are typically taken up by the religious caste and taught the ways of their forests, though it is not unheard of for such an individual to be adopted into the royal family.

Biologically speaking, the Tarix-Na are quite different from their humanoid counterparts of elves, dwarves, and humans. The chief factor which separates them from other humanoids is their inability to breathe oxygen in the same quantities as other the creatures of the world outside their lands. They breathe a mixture of ammonia and methane-based gases which are secreted by the plant life of the forests they inhabit, a mixture which is processed into needed hydrogen by a large singular lung which forms a semicircle within their torso cradling the tri-valve heart which pumps a mercury-based solution throughout their bodies. Part of their respiratory system is also the conversion of naturally created carbon and the discarded nitrogen into cyanide gas, which is then exhaled from the same air ways which take in ammonia and methane. The diet of the Tarix-Na usually consists in sulfur rich animal tissue or plant tissue, both of which are in abundance in the forests of their lands. This sulfur, once digested into the body, forms the building blocks of their bone-structure, as well as fuels the metabolism and gives the body the ability to breakdown other chemicals. Oxygen is one element which the body is incapable of bonding with other molecules or elements, and so is often processed through an organ very similar to the human liver, though in this case the oxygen is pressurized until it is a liquid, and then forced from the body. Despite being able to excrete this chemical, the liver of the Tarix-Na is not fully able to rid itself of the element, and the oxygen which is left will often crystallize inside the organ over time

Most Tarix-Na will live to anywhere between 50-175 years in age, though this is primarily due to a host of diseases and parasites which begin attack the body of the Tarix-Na once they reach this age range. The reason that they suddenly become susceptible to existing disease and parasites, is because at that age most Tarix-Na will find their livers failing from the build-up of oxygen through the years, and be at the point where oxygen is starting to deposit in other areas of the body. One of the most common disease which strikes the Tarix-Na is that of the dreaded Shelvorak, a disease which gradually necrotizes the vital organs of the infected until they finally die of brain-death or drowning in the liquefied tissue that has built up within their lungs. Those who are afflicted with the disease are highly feared by the community due to the communicability of the disease to those who are not as advanced in age, and it is not unknown for entire regions of the forest to go suddenly silent after a single Tarix-Na became infected. In terms of lifespan unaffected by disease or parasite, it is completely unknown exactly how long a member of the species can live, with some records telling of individuals living for hundreds of years, and one remarkable case even living to a ripe six-thousand.

Lanuages:

The language of the Tarix-Na is a unique one, in that while they do have something similar to such a thing, it varies into a host of different forms that makes it nigh-impossible to learn from outside the species. The closest thing that could be called a "Common-Tongue" for the species is that of Kelto a bipolar mixing of both submissives and dominant commands and acknowledgments to commands. This leads the Tarix-Na to be rather blunt when dealing with each-other and those rare outsiders they are able to communicate with. Other forms of language within the species commonly used is the form Shekto which has been very loosely translated to mean emotion or intent. This form is most often used to convey feelings or intentions which are not expressible through Kelto, or which may be improper to express through Kelto. It is a common use of Shekto to express a desire for someone to do something, but in a way which is not leveled as a command, a trait of the languages of Tarix-Na which seems to fail to find its way into Human-Tongue. Rarely among the species will one find themselves keen to learn a language that goes beyond the bounds of the species, though these individuals have found themselves highly useful in the dealings with outside nations. While the average Tarix-Na is highly intuitive with communicative languages, they are well known to struggle with grammatical structure and due to the nature of their primary means of communication, they are highly prone to run-on sentences and lack punctuation in their speech. This is primarily because they only emulate the speech of other sentients by vibrating the plates in their throat to certain pitches that mimic spoken words.

In terms of written language, the Tarix-Na's main form of writing is a highly complex runic system which to date has been found to consist of nearly seven-hundred thousand characters. To what degree the language actually extends to is completely unknown, as is the depth of knowledge the average Tarix-Na understands. In most cases, the religious and royal castes are the members who are the most knowledgeable, with many capable of independently identifying up to forty-seven thousand characters, while the commoner castes are rarely able to identify six-thousand. Curiously, nearly all of the characters that the commoners are able to identify are characters which the royals are incapable of identifying, while the religious caste is capable of identifying all of the characters that both royal and commoner castes are capable of identifying.

Religion

Religious beliefs:

The religious ways of the Tarix-Na are equally as strange as their language and biology, with differing regions playing host to separate deities of the pantheon under a belief that both life and death is to be highly revered. Life is perhaps the most understood of their beliefs, in that the Tarix-Na believe in the preservation of the natural world under any but the most stringent of circumstances. This is thought to be because of the bizarre rituals of death the species partakes in, where they will lay the dead upon freshly turned soil and plant saplings within the cavities of their torso, only moving on from the grave once the sapling has fully taken root. With this ritual, it is believed that the reverence of life and death comes full-circle, and paints a grim picture of the lands of Tarixis-Narikuli, for the species has lived within that poisoned forest for quite some time, and has seen rises and falls of its population just as the other sentients of the world. Beyond this, they species commonly worships gods depicting aspects such as the seasons, weather, cycles of the moon and sun, as well as varied other aspects.

Military

Military

For all intents and purposes, the Dominion has no military, and has never had a military. The people of the Dominion have never found need or want to engage hostilities with another species or nation, and as such are not versed in the ways of war. The closest thing the Tarix-Na have come to a fighting force is the hunters which roam the forests to hunt wild game in order to provide meat for the populace.

NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE

-Head of State/Monarch:
-Ruling Dynasty (If applicable):
-Military Chief (If applicable):
-Religious Head (If Applicable):
Important People: The only individual who has weight outside of the Dominion is the Tarix-Na known as "Hel", a member of the royal family who has come to learn the common-tongue of the outside world.

Cultural

-History: (I will add key historical episodes to the history timeline above.)
Relations with other races:

Never moving far from their lands, the people of the Tarix-Na are wary of outsiders, though are quite amicable once they have come to know an individual. As a species, they are well known for their passive behavior towards known people, and commonly gift their works to those they have become close to, many times without any reason for such a gift. War and hostility has never been known to be associated with the people, the species preferring to retreat within their forests until hostilities have passed, and known to bear a great sadness that their biology is toxic to other humanoids.

Influence and relations: The Dominion is largely isolationist, and therefore holds few ties to other nations, and has little influence on world events.

Social dynamics:

The Dominion operates on a caste system, determinate on factors such as skin-tone and the horns which males grow atop their heads. At the top of the caste system is the Royalty, a family of supposed pure-blooded Tarix-Na who have run the multitude of settlements for thousands of years. Just below them is the religious caste, a society of priests and monks who practice a nomadic lifestyle that enables them to reach all of the people of the Dominion. Finally, at the lowest level of the caste system is the commoner caste, those who practice the ways of the land and a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. It is the commoners who are responsible for a majority of the food production of the Dominion, as well as taking part in various other economic activities.

Art:

More so a hobby than an actual trade, the Tarix-Na are adept at carpentry, and carving in general. Even the least skilled of the people are capable of working the wood of the native trees without the use of nails or other binding agents, and master-craftsmen are known for their ability to make the most out of a single felled tree. This skill carries over into carving, where the people are able to carve figures without the aid of tools beyond a carving knife, and are able to intuitively know where and how to cut in order to produce the desired shape. A well carved item can range anywhere from intricate scripting upon a talisman, all the way to a perfect recreation of another being in wood.

Law:

In their society, the Dominion carries little in terms of written laws, choosing to rule according to the law of the people. This leads to a greatly minimized presence of law within the Dominion, as the only things which merit punishment are actions which will bring harm to another individual or the community in any way. Theft is one such crime, and is often dealt with by way of forcing the individual to work for the offended party until the debt is paid. This is a common theme among the Dominion, in that they only punish an individual in accordance to the damage they have done, and the only exceptions are the crimes of murder and dishonouring the dead. Despite the weight of these individual crimes, it is against the ways of the Dominion to revoke the rights of another being to live, and so such crimes are nearly always repaid by a life of service to the family of the offended party. In the case of an offended party either having no family, or the family being unknown, or even the offended party being unknown, the accused is serviced to the religious caste until they have been found redeemed by the gods.

[Monkeypants]

Hey flagg. Happy to see this idea brought back!

[Goldeagle1221]

@Alfhedil Miss you, buddy.

[Alfhedil]

@Goldeagle1221 Look who it is.

[Goldeagle1221]

@Goldeagle1221 Look who it is.

@Alfhedil

IT'S ALFY SHIMM SHIMM

[Alfhedil]

<Snipped quote by Alfhedil>

IT'S ALFY SHIMM SHIMM

@Goldeagle1221

You should join us. I'm making a wonderful forest of deathandmurdersunshine and happiness.

[Goldeagle1221]

If I can spare time from Brimstone, sure, but naturally this would fall second in priority.

[Flagg]

If I can spare time from Brimstone, sure, but naturally this would fall second in priority.

@Goldeagle1221

I think you can swing it.

[Sini]

<Snipped quote by Goldeagle1221>

That's bc I havent sent out PMs to all my favorite RPers yet, of course. :)

@Aristo Thanks for the graph, will add it to the OP when I get a chance.

@Flagg

Would I have got one? :'(

[Darkmatter]

Marking my interest. Going to work on a concept today and submit it later for review. My only question is to what extent do we have freedom to create lore/history?

@The Sparrow I'm considering having my city state to be, border directly with your empire, taking up the first 'chunk' of the isthmus, does that fly?

Obviously there'd be a lot of history there. I'm aiming for a very old fashioned, hard worn and embattled race/nation.
Would historic enslavement have been something in Alberon?

Super WIP

~ Vrent ~

City/Realm name: Vrent – An Ruuktor Fir ( The True Throne)

Flag/Banner: An Tzul D’Yvazgrul (The Eye Of Yvazgrul)

National

Capital: Vrent – An Ruuktor Fir - Ruuktor – The True Throne

Government Type: The sole leader of all Vrentians is The Quiet One, also referred to as The Apex and Yvazgrul’s Listener and most often just as The Listener. Authority however, is not absolute and things are more intricate than they initially seem. The Listener’s power stems from his or hers ability to directly communicate with Yzazgrul itself. The validity of this claim, let alone any proposed method, has yet to be verified by any outside entity.



The broader governing system of Vrent, stems from its founding race, the Ventus, and is quite complex and difficult to condense into a single word. It has strong traces of tribal chieftanism still evident, but with a far more refined and forward thinking application. It can be seen somewhat as an archaic meritocracy, whereby each Listener is someone proven beyond capable in all fields deemed necessary by the Vrentians; war, art and academia, three tenets its beliefs tie together.



The Speakers, act as a rudimentary senate-like institution. Speakers are chosen also by merit, however, in actuality, familial influence and honor won in combat mean far more than any other factor. Therefore, historically, Speakers have often been inclined towards heavy handed judgment and action, something heavily favored by the general populace. The Speakers oversee the Vidril, which are large organizations focused each on provision of a specific aspect of Vrent life. The military, academic, magic, trade and farming Vidrils are by far the most prominent. Expanded upon when necessary.

Currency: Vrent has a deep and intricate economical system, which uses varyingly valuable carved minerals, in the shape of any traditional coinage. Modern Vrent is a trading hub, with much of the traffic across the Isthmus begins or terminates in Vrent and despite it ferociously violent history, and the many misgivings of it from other states, it is undoubtedly an important economic centre. Albeit, much of this is due to geographical circumstance and unfettered access to balsite mines.


Population: Total population amongst the Towns is just over six hundred thousand. Explained in detail in geography section.

Unique Trait #1: Yvazgrul’s Knowledge ~ Direct contact and interaction with one of the most powerful of the Red Gods has its benefits. Yvazgrul is older than the continents themselves and provides intelligence and information second to none. The interpretation of this, however, may not always be as superb.

Unique Trait #2: Strength Of The Mountains ~ With its townships built into the low slopes of the Spine’s mountain range, Vrent is most difficult to assault. This is an attribute reflected directly upon its citizens. The Ventus themselves a strong, hardy and unrelenting race. Those of other birth, including the many humans, who in the past several centuries have amalgamated with the Ventus in forming modern Vrent, are also well versed in the trials of survival. The mountains themselves provide the balsite, the core commodity around which their economy runs.

Unique Flaw #1 : Economic Dependence ~ Despite prospering hugely from trade and general economic activity, much of this prosperity is due to external forces and Vrent is by no means assured a future. Riding on a wave of growth in recent decades, any interference in regular would prove catastrophic to Vrent. The state is massively reliant on resources acquired from others. Without trade, Vrent would be left with a lot of worthless rock. Worse still if the balsite supply ever were to dry up, Vrent would be left with nothing.

Unique Flaw #2 : Misunderstood ~ The Ventus’ stark reputation precedes all negotiations Vrent has with others. Historically, its founding race, has been classified as barbarians by many older states. In actuality, they were simply nomadic and not any less civilized nor advanced. However, fact means little in the way of cultural perception, and to this day many people fear or outright dislike Vrent and its citizens. Their emphatic worship of ancient beings deemed either nonexistent or malevolent certainly doesn’t help.

Geographical

Vrent as a ‘city’ has rather unique geography. Rather than a dense central urban centre, the city of Vrent is composed of a daisy chain of fortress-esque installations forming a two hundred and seventy degree arc around the initial slopes of the Spine’s mountain range. Each of these locations is focused on one large sky reaching building known as a Citadel, a religious and political construct. These towns are built vertically, only expanding out along the slopes by a few square kilometers each. They are however, extremely dense and built up, with many towering stacks and spire. Each Citadel reaches higher than any other building surrounding it. Linking the Citadels are the Ard Roads, carved into the slopes and raised on mighty archways, these impressive constructs act as conduits for all internal travel and trade in Vrent.

Seven Citadels are linked by the Ard Roads, and they are, in north facing clockwise, bottom to top direction:

Ozgart

Frelhund

Drizmund

Vrent

Auhmhaft

Solvvas

Yval’hund

Spreading out from these slopes are rolling lowlands and the farming pastures which provide the huge amount of food required to fuel Vrent’s never-ending mining operations. This terrority is all considered directly under the control of Vrent and rolls out as far as the edge of the continent where Vrent borders Alberon. Farmers of varying species work and own these lands, assured protection from Vrent, given mutual status and respect. All in return for religious conviction. To the east, and further into the mountain range, Vrent maintains peaceful, if tenuous relations with the other Isthmus city-states for the sake of trade.

Racial

Majority Race: The Ventus

Majority Race Appearance: The Ventus are a physically large humanoid race. Average males exceed seven feet in height, with most females reaching around six feet in maturity. They are though, not lithe and slender, as many tall races tended to be, in fact they are quite bulky and each Ventus carries a presence. This predominately arose from their history as nomads, having only settled into static towns, as a species, around a thousand years ago. The Ventus' skin color varies from tanned leather like colours, similar to many humans, to dark hues bordering black and to deep purples and blues.

Sexual dimorphism is not as apparent in Ventus as it is in other similar species. Females are not easily identified by structure other than height, and the main differences arise in facial features. Males have much sharper chin and cheekbones and tend to have much harsher complexions compared to the relatively soft skin of females. The main and most notable differences is in their ‘Adhark’, cartilage build up on the tops of their skulls which resemble small fin like protrusions. Those of males' tend to curve up and out, females' down and inward.

Majority Race Characteristics: The Ventus are zealous and resolute to say the least.
Minority Races: Humans, any other PC race that may end up here after discussion.

Religion & Magic

State Religion: The Red Way – The Worship of Yvazgrul. Vrent’s daily life is heavily influenced by religion. However, the Vrentians, don’t classify their own belief system as a religion. They are wholeheartedly convinced it is truth and not comparable to the fickle whims of ‘modern’ cults such as Old God worship, least of all Justinianism. Somewhat ironic, considering the manner in which most every other state regards ‘The Red Way’.

Religious Information: The Red Way focuses on the truth that another world runs parallel to our, but exists within in it. Referred to as the ‘Eile’ or the Other, this world is home to all manner of immensely powerful entities. These Entities, are each individually tied to a plane of existence, according to the Way. Yvazgrul, is according to the first Listener, the original and most powerful of all Entities tied to this corporeal realm. The Way is Yvazgrul’s will manifested in tangible form. Those who follow the Way follow a being with a rightful claim to this world, a claim made by strength.
Knowledge and the acquirement of information are core parts of the Way, due to Yvazgrul’s unending comprehension; the more one knows, the closer they are to Yvazgrul. All will eventually follow the Way either by force of strength or force of knowledge. Justinian is regard among those who follow the Way, as being a lesser being from the Other, who is attempting to usurp Yvazgrul.

[The Sparrow]

@Darkmatter Sounds good to me!

I've spent you a PM to go over any fine details of history you may wish to, and to cover the topic of enslavement.