City/Realm name: The Ossuary
Have ye courage, o my brethren?
The signs are everywhere.
Some did not see it coming,
others refused to see.
I can feel it in the tingle of the air,
in the heartbeat of the Earth.
And I can tell that the storm is
coming all down on me.
Have ye courage, o my brethren?
The signs are everywhere.
Some did not see it coming,
others refused to see.
I can feel it in the tingle of the air,
in the heartbeat of the Earth.
And I can tell that the storm is
coming all down on me.
-Capital:
-תְּהוֹם, Tehom of the Deep: Tehom is the city located in the deepest point of the Ossuary, and seat of the Monarch. The greatest of the dead cities of the Ossuary, the monumental architecture of Tehom hosts many of the inhabitants of the realm, and it is here that the Monarch's armies are assembling, ready to march behind their black banners at the conquest of the outside world. Tehom is built in an austere yet grand style, with immense mausoleums and statues looming above, barely illuminated by the few torches of the city.
-Government Type: deathly kingdom, ruled by the Monarch. The Monarch's nature is unknown, but what is known is that it is the sovereign entity which rules from the Veiled Throne of Tehom: some say that it is the collective sum of all the souls that lurk in the Ossuary, others theorize that it was once a human necromancer who ascended far beyond mortality, and others yet say that it is a powerful demons from the nether realms, who came to conquer this world. Perhaps none of them is right, perhaps all of them are.
-Currency: obolos, a small golden coin with a skull on one side.
-Population: circa 1,500,000.
-Unique Trait #1: With Hearts Toward None
Since the beginning of human history, death has been an immovable force, the grand equalizer of all, the end supreme. Now, death has come alive, and walks the Earth. The Nekroi might be vulnerable and weak when fought one by one, but their resolve is stronger than steel and colder than stone: advancing in compact formations of bone and metal, the legions of death shall know not the meaning of fear, retreat, or surrender.
-Unique Trait #2: Groza
The sight of a seemingly endless legion of the dead marching forth can instill fear even in the hearts of the most battle-hardened veterans, while unexperienced soldiers tremble at the mere thought of the black banners of the Ossuary. Those who stand in the path of the Monarch should soon learn that it is not numbers what will win the war against the Nekroi, or be prepared to pay the price in souls.
-Unique Flaw #1: Mdłości
The dead walking the Earth are not a common event, and indeed one that most people wish to put an end to as quickly as possible. Thus, as most mortals regard the Nekroi as unholy abominations to be eradicated immediately, alliances, diplomacy and pacts are nothing but meaningless words in the ears of the Monarchs.
-Unique Flaw #2: Presence
-Major Towns/Colonies:
-בְּאֵר שַׁחַת, Be'er Shachath of the Pit: north of Tehom, Be'er Shachath is located at the bottom of a steep ravine. The city, among the largest of the Ossuary, is composed almost entirely of an intricate network of narrow, dark tunnels and corridors carved into rock. Be'er Shachath is one of the most "lively" cities of the Ossuary, and an important centre of trade for the kingdom: travellers from the others subterranean worlds often arrive here to sell and buy artifacts and other valuable goods.
-טִיט הַיָוֵן, Tit-ha Yaven of the Swamps: Tit-ha Yaven, not far from the surface, stands in the middle of a great chtonian swampland, where the stagnant waters of the above filter and fall down to the depths below. The swamps around the city, composed of structures similar to stilt houses, are ripe with creature best not seen by human eye, but the inhabitants are used to them, and travel within and without the city, hunting for the monstruous things that lurk below the surface.
-גלאצהאב, Golachab of the Flames: Golachab, lying near the magma channels of a subterranean volcano, is the forge of the Ossuary, and its main industrial center. Its pathways and corridor are perennially filled with smoke and ash, and the uncountable sounds of hammers striking down on incandescent metal echo ceaselessly inside its walls. Everything that is made of metal in the Ossuary most likely comes from here, made by the expert hands of undead artisans and the sorrowful toil of the slaves, mining the ores in the suffocating air of Golachab, to produce armors, weapons, artillery and ammunitions.
-Major Castles/Fortresses:
-Dakhma of the Towers: outside the Ossuary, many towers and forts exist, forming a network of walls and fortifications, the Towers of Silence, embracing much of the mountain, with its heart in Dakhma. Like most structures on the outer surface of the Ossuary, Dakhma is crumbling, in utter disrepair: yet, it still stands, as a witness of the might of its unknown builders.
-שַׁעֲרֵ֣י מָוֶת, Sha'arei Maveth of the Gates: the main fortress of the Ossuary, Sha'arei Maveth stands at the main entrance of the kingdom. Curiously, the original fortification was not designed to stop outsiders from entering the realm, but actually the contrary: later on, it was repaired and reinforced by its undead inhabitants, which have managed to somewhat preserve it from the decadence which swallowed the other outer castles of the Ossuary. Its massive black gates have been closed for countless millennia, but perhaps this is about to change...
-Buildings of Interest:
The north slope of the Ossuary, during winter
-Geographic Features of Interest:
-懸棺, Xuánguān of the Coffins: connecting the outside world to Tehom, the road of Xuánguān is among the most traversed of the Ossuary. Passing through a deep valley, enclosed between two great natural stone walls, Xuánguān gained its name because of the numberless, crumbling coffins hanging from its walls: pieces of them, along with the bones of those once resting within, litter the road, and some can be seen falling even today. Yet, the number of the coffins never seems to decrease.
-Karijia of the Sarcophagi: on the eastern slope of the Ossuary, the small valley of Karijia opens, almost invisible from the outside. It is completely barren and uninhabited, except for the tall standing sarcophagi looming from the valley's slopes, surrounded by shattered bones. Vultures circle endlessly around the valley, almost as thin and skeletal as the dead resting within.
-Territory Description: the Ossuary is a great, immense mountain standing lonely south of the Dragon's Spine separated from the main. Inside the mountain, unbeknownst to most, a kingdom of the dead lies, and has been for countless aeons: made up of a network of great underground valleys, ravines, tunnels, caverns, caves, and corridors, some man-made, some natural, going deeper and deeper down into the Earth.
Majority Race: Nεκροί, the Dead
The virtues of loss, the hymnes of decay.
Dost thou have faith now, o dearest friend?
The virtues of loss, the hymnes of decay.
Dost thou have faith now, o dearest friend?
-Majority Race Appearance: the Nekroi are undead skeletal beings, sometimes with pieces of rotting flesh still attached to their bones, which are sometimes missing or broken; still, the Nekroi march onwards, and when one falls, three rise to take its place. The Nekroi display uncommon physical strenght, but their bodies are still frail and can be destroyed rather easily: thus, when fighting, they clad themselves in heavy armor and use their usually superior numbers to prevail over the enemy.
-Majority Race Characteristics: it is said that the dead speak not, and perhaps this is why so little is known about the Nekroi in the outside world. Few writings mention them, and when they do, they are described as mythical and fantastical creatures living beyond the edges of the known world; still, the only element on which these accounts agree is the fact tath the Nekroi seem as governed by a single mind. This is only partially true. The Nekroi are in fact distinct entities, connected to each other, reasoning together as if they were the parts of a single mind, at the head of which, like a torch illuminating the darkest dephts of the Ossuary, stands the Monarch. For a long time, the Nekroi have been passive, slumbering in their tombs, but slowly, over time, they began to awake.
The beginning of the Nekroi's history has been lost to the abyss of time. Nobody knows who built the Ossuary, and nobody knows who were the Nekroi before their death: the very oldest tales and fragments hint towards an ancient emperor struck by a curse, long before the beginning of this age, who was forced by destiny to entomb his kingdom and subjects. Records start in an age when the first cities of the Ossuary had already been founded, and the Monarch was already seated upon the Veiled Throne. Immediately, the Nekroi were forced to prove their strenght, as the other Chtonian races, such as the Ephestians and the Jotnar attempted to reap the riches and metals of their land: many wars and battles were fought in the caves, before the borders of the Ossuary were finally estabilished. It was around this time that the Nekroi first started to look outside, recovering the ancient structures and fortifications standing on their mountain, occupying most of them; also, the Nekroi started trading with the other Chtonian kingdoms, exporting the heavy metals and artifacts of their land in exchange for gold, manufactured goods, and manpower: there was a time when the Jotnar could be seen working alongside the Nekroi to repair the castles of the Ossuary. During the centuries, the Nekroi developed a simple form of social organization, with the creation of an aristocracy, a small class of nobles which were assigned positions of power in the various cities of the kingdom: after two or three millennia, the Nekroi began to assemble their host. This cycle is drawing to an end, and this Sun is nearing the end of its life: soon, an imprisoned king shall once again walk the Earth, before letting it fall into darkness.
-Other skeletal races:
Among the Nekroi, two subgroups can be found, which form distinct categories within the society of the Ossuary.
Wraiths
I shall erect myself over transience,
I shall ascend over flesh.
I shall erect myself over transience,
I shall ascend over flesh.
Wraiths in the Ossuary are few, barely numbering in the hundred, and rarely seen. Before their death, these ancient spirits had great magical talents, and were part of a guild of wizards which was erased long ago from the records, and the secrets of their arts were forgotten by time. Yet, the cabal of magicians still lives on, after death. However, they sacrificed much their sorcerous powers to gain a new, immaterial form, freeing themselves from their bones and becoming spirits. The cabal of the Wraiths has now become something akin to a secret sect with an occult hierarchy, receiving their orders from the Monarch himself: they are among the few Nekroi who often wander the outside world, and scout the territories ahead, acting as spies, assassins and infiltrators for the Veiled Throne. Sometimes, in the darkest corners of the Ossuary, small congregations of Wraiths can be seen, celebrating their ancient rites among the tombs.
Horrors
All hail reapers of hope!
All hail reapers of hope!
Not everyone in the Ossuary was fortunate enough to have his own tomb. Most were simply thrown into mass graves and left there to rot and decompose: endless pits filled with corpses, slowly devoured by worms and flies. As the millennia passed, the minds and souls of the unburied coalesced into single horrendous beings, thus spawning the abominations known as Horrors. Barely sentient, Horrors are monstruous masses of bones taking various different shapes, and are often used by the Nekroi as workers, battle mounts, and even moving platforms for cannons and other artillery, because of their great size and strenght. When left free, Horrors begin to wander aimlessly, endlessly wailing and begging for someone to end their eternal suffering.
Deathforged
Now, I am become Death, the enemy of man.
Now, I am become Death, the enemy of man.
The ancient builders of the Ossuary had a great, profound knowledge of magic and anatomy. Although the secrets of their art have been long forgotten, the towering, cloaked figures of the Deathforged are the proof of its might. These fearsome beings were once humans, but their flesh was stripped off, and through magical means their bones were substituted with the heavy metal of the pits of Golachab. Since then, the Deathforged have been silently guarding the Veiled Throne: despite numbering only a few dozens, they are among the mightiest warriors of the Ossuary, and the only thing harder and colder than their metal bodies is the strenght of their will.
Necromancers
Come redemption!
As the litany of abandonment
rings through ruined temples...
Come redemption!
As the litany of abandonment
rings through ruined temples...
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:
-Magical Schools and Curriculum: (What forms of magic are common?)
-Military Details:
The main bulk of the armies of the Nekroi is made up of simple soldiers, all clad in heavy armors forged in the pits of the Ossuary, and wielding heavy metal swords, spears, axes and shields, as well as gunpowder weapons such as. Siege weapons and artillery such as cannons, bombards, and falconets are also used by the Nekroi. The army adopts simple tactics based on drowning the enemy in a sea of steel and bones, but some specialized corps also exist within the organization of the hosts of the Ossuary.
Death Knights
Never surrender! Never retreat!
Never surrender! Never retreat!
The only cavalry force in the ranks of the Ossuary, Death Knights ride on top of artifically created Horrors, made to resemble a horse. Clad in finely crafted, incredibly heavy armor, these riders fall upon their enemy like a massive hammer, delivering a tremendous blow in spite of their small numbers: they appear as towering giants on the battlefield, and their appearance strikes terror in the hearts of the boldest warriors. Still, they are indeed slow even by the standards of heavy cavalry, and their mounts tire easily when made to run too much.
Phalanx
He shall distress the weary
He shall disgrace the meek
He shall rip out the eyes of the lame
And he shall cripple the blind.
He shall distress the weary
He shall disgrace the meek
He shall rip out the eyes of the lame
And he shall cripple the blind.
If the Death Knights are the hammer of the armies of the Ossuary, the Phalanx is the anvil. Marching as one man on the field of battle, these soldiers are the veteran infantry of the Nekroi:
numbering in the few hundreds, the Phalanx forms the forefront of the armies of the Ossuary in the most important battles, arranged in a tight shield wall formation. Their heavy armor and long spears makes it almost unbreakable even by the mightiest charge, but being quite slow, faster enemies can outflank it fairly easily; however, many warriors of the Phalanx are veterans of the ancient wars against the other chtonian races, thus making them fearsome and boldened soldiers.
Head of State/Monarch: the Old Monarch
And let there come the rain,
let there come the rain.
And let there come the rain,
let there come the rain.
...there was once a holy king, who ruled in peace over his kingdom. Although he was old and very ill, he ruled justly and was a good man, and as he loved his people, so his people did love him. His realm was so prosperous and rich that even the gods came to envy it, and thus, with the help of other human kingdoms, they declared war to the good king, and sought to destroy his throne. For thousands of years the war raged on, and the gods sent upon the monarch's kingdom the horrors of the plague, and the sorrow of fire. In time, despite the heroic resistance of the monarch, it appeared clear that defeat was inevitable. Yet, the good king had foreseen this, and ordered his subjects to create a great shelter under a mountain: as the cities of his kingdom burned and his people were slaughtered by the demons and monsters who were invading his lands, the good king took with him those who remained of his folk, and escaped to the depths below, the only way to save them from the pillars of flame and ash.
Soon, the king stopped appearing in front of his people. Immediately, rumors spread about his death, and his people attempted to escape the dephts of the mountain: yet, the gods had sealed its entrance, to forever imprison the good king and his folk. The people of the Ossuary soon fell into madness, knowing that none would escape the depths: many killed each other or themselves, while the others sooner or later fell to starvation and thirst. In time, under the mountain, all was dead. Yet, the Old Monarch watched, sitting upon his throne, now covered by a deathly shroud, and as his flesh started rotting and his bones were whitened by the centuries, he saw his folk, once proud and loyal, becoming inhuman animals. Far beyond the borders of his mountain he did see, watching what was once his great kingdom become the home of decadent and corrupt polities, mere vermins polluting his ancient home, the home he could not defend. Yet, as the old proverb says, with strange aeons, even death may die.
The king is dead. All hail the king.
-Persons of interest:
...and may it wash away the scum,
the cunts, the dogs, the filth, the shit,
the whores, the junk, the trash, the
worms, the freaks, the rot, the
plague, the grime, the smut, the
waste, the pigs, the slime, the mud,
the vermin of every shape and size.
the cunts, the dogs, the filth, the shit,
the whores, the junk, the trash, the
worms, the freaks, the rot, the
plague, the grime, the smut, the
waste, the pigs, the slime, the mud,
the vermin of every shape and size.
Holy shit, this is a pretty huge WIP.
