EventuaNation Name: Addacian Empire.
(Some appropriate music)
Government Form: Absolute monarchy.
Demographics:
Savrianoi (51%): The Addacian Empire’s hegemons, they are bipedal saurians with scales on much of their body and colors ranging from blue to green. Even though their hunched-over posture makes them only slightly taller than the average Human, Savrianoi are much larger, with a very developed musculature. Although omnivorous, they have a strong preference for meat.
Humans (12%): Like the Savrianoi, the Humans of Uboras are from Gaia. They primarily live in the Empire’s remote and wild areas as a multitude of nomadic tribes and are famed for being particularly sensitive to the seven Dharma, a fact seen as both a blessing and a curse.
Kentauroi (15%): A humanoid race that has what resembles a horse's body from the waist down. They are war-like and very competitive, which combined with their anatomy makes for a fearsome warrior/raider culture.
Lykonoi (22%): Bipedal wolf-like creatures. They have a strong pack instinct and thus live in extended friends and family cells known as clans, which can number a mere dozen individuals all the way up to hundreds of them. They have a very potent sense of smell and exceptional hearing.
Population: 9.5 million
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(Some appropriate music)
Government Form: Absolute monarchy.
Demographics:
Savrianoi (51%): The Addacian Empire’s hegemons, they are bipedal saurians with scales on much of their body and colors ranging from blue to green. Even though their hunched-over posture makes them only slightly taller than the average Human, Savrianoi are much larger, with a very developed musculature. Although omnivorous, they have a strong preference for meat.
Humans (12%): Like the Savrianoi, the Humans of Uboras are from Gaia. They primarily live in the Empire’s remote and wild areas as a multitude of nomadic tribes and are famed for being particularly sensitive to the seven Dharma, a fact seen as both a blessing and a curse.
Kentauroi (15%): A humanoid race that has what resembles a horse's body from the waist down. They are war-like and very competitive, which combined with their anatomy makes for a fearsome warrior/raider culture.
Lykonoi (22%): Bipedal wolf-like creatures. They have a strong pack instinct and thus live in extended friends and family cells known as clans, which can number a mere dozen individuals all the way up to hundreds of them. They have a very potent sense of smell and exceptional hearing.
Population: 9.5 million
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Uboras is a world of grassy plains, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts and marshes. At first sight, it could seem unremarkable, but nothing would be further from the truth.
Living beings are not the only entities present in Uboras. The emotions of sentient beings, past and present, linger in a very tangible way and affect the world as they are the source of the plane’s magic known as Dharma. If a specific emotion is present in too large amounts over a long enough period of time, it can create a zone of imbalance where reality is distorted in ways depending on the dominant Dharma; this affects the psyche of sentient beings inside the zone and produces visible changes on the environment. In some extreme cases, lava may surge to the surface from the depths of the earth, living things may experience extraordinary fertility and reproductive ardor, rocks and trees may be deformed into jagged and cruelly sharp spikes and blades, or other unnatural phenomena.
Living beings are not the only entities present in Uboras. The emotions of sentient beings, past and present, linger in a very tangible way and affect the world as they are the source of the plane’s magic known as Dharma. If a specific emotion is present in too large amounts over a long enough period of time, it can create a zone of imbalance where reality is distorted in ways depending on the dominant Dharma; this affects the psyche of sentient beings inside the zone and produces visible changes on the environment. In some extreme cases, lava may surge to the surface from the depths of the earth, living things may experience extraordinary fertility and reproductive ardor, rocks and trees may be deformed into jagged and cruelly sharp spikes and blades, or other unnatural phenomena.
The Savrianoi’s arrival on Uboras was either never recorded, or the writings were lost to time. The earliest historical documents are about 430 years old, and at the time the Savrianoi were organized in a federation of tribes known as the Addacian League fighting to keep what land they managed to settle in the face of attacks from the neighboring Lykonoi and Kentauroi, the plane’s native inhabitants. Most of the Human slave population that the Savrianoi had brought along with them were freed during that time in exchange for assistance against the natives.
Humans brought with them an unprecedented understanding of the supernatural forces that govern Uboras, naming them Dharma and quickly proving that their mastery over these forces and the proportion of individuals capable of wielding them far exceeded that of their former masters and their enemies. Soon, several Lykonoi and Kentauroi tribes joined the Savrianoi and their human allies, either intimidated by the growing military might of the former or in awe of the arcane knowledge of the latter. More were brought to heel and subjugated by the Legions of the newly formed Addacian Empire.
The Empire continued to grow and expand through a tumultuous history of conquests and civil wars, enduring the test of time and establishing itself as the dominant power of the known world.
Humans brought with them an unprecedented understanding of the supernatural forces that govern Uboras, naming them Dharma and quickly proving that their mastery over these forces and the proportion of individuals capable of wielding them far exceeded that of their former masters and their enemies. Soon, several Lykonoi and Kentauroi tribes joined the Savrianoi and their human allies, either intimidated by the growing military might of the former or in awe of the arcane knowledge of the latter. More were brought to heel and subjugated by the Legions of the newly formed Addacian Empire.
The Empire continued to grow and expand through a tumultuous history of conquests and civil wars, enduring the test of time and establishing itself as the dominant power of the known world.
Addacian society is divided into three classes: the nobility at the very top have exclusivity on many government offices and have more rights and duties than the pleb, which is the second class of society. Plebeians represent the vast majority of the population and are expected to work in times of peace, and serve in the army in times of war. Finally, the slaves are at the bottom of the hierarchy. As they are property, they have little rights and are either war prisoners or people forced to sell themselves into slavery to pay off debts. Slaves do benefit from the status of Addacian citizens in a limited way, however, as slaves may not be killed or maimed by their masters. If a slave suffers an accidental work injury, their owner must pay them a sum of money depending on the gravity of the injury.
Additionally, the highest echelons of both civilian and military hierarchies are closed to all non-Savrianoi individuals.
Savrianoi are instinctively driven to stick together, which has perhaps been the most important factor as to why the several civil wars that the Empire suffered didn’t shatter it. To many, separatism is wrong in a way that goes against nature. Notably, Savrianoi also have a strong respect for strength and martial might, giving them a natural mindset for conquest and a pronounced taste for gladiatorial fights.
Humans are dispersed all across the Empire into a multitude of tribes who developed their own unique cultures over the centuries. Except for those who decided to leave their tribes to go live in the large cities, they share two common traits despite cultural differences: a nomadic lifestyle, and following the tenets of the Dharma’s Balance. The latter is a philosophy that endeavors to bring inner peace by balancing one’s emotions, striving to never let one overwhelm the others.
Kentauroi are known to have a penchant for extreme violence only tempered by a very special kind of sense of honor. Even though this isn’t true of most of them, their society follows a mentality of survival of the fittest and considers that might makes right. Few virtues aside from strength, skill and honesty are considered worthwhile. Mercy and compassion for an enemy earn, at best, condescending mockery.
Lykonoi clans are too numerous to list, as a clan can be as small as a single family. These clans often encompass the local settlement, be it a farm, a village or a town, although several clans may coexist in the larger cities. Lykonoi society is a complex network of loyalties, grudges, debts, and favors. A clan’s prestige reputation is entirely based on the integrity and achievements of its members, past and present. Thus, a small clan of twenty individuals may be more prestigious than one that numbers several hundred and consequently will be more valued by their peers.
There is a final major component of Addacian society that must be mentioned: the Dragon Guild, an ancient religious organization that worships Kotzolr, the Dragon God. Guild temples can be found in every city, along with banks and laboratories. Indeed, the Dragon Guild is not only made of priests and religious followers but also bankers and alchemists. Over the centuries since its creation, the Guild has become immensely rich and powerful to the point of being allowed by Imperial law to maintain armed soldiers to protect its interests. Like the mythical dragons it represents in its aesthetics, the Guild watches over its possessions with vigilance and ferocity. The Dragon Guild is so powerful that the Emperor may call upon its warriors to serve alongside the Legions in times of war, and the Guild wisely answers the call every time.
Additionally, the highest echelons of both civilian and military hierarchies are closed to all non-Savrianoi individuals.
Savrianoi are instinctively driven to stick together, which has perhaps been the most important factor as to why the several civil wars that the Empire suffered didn’t shatter it. To many, separatism is wrong in a way that goes against nature. Notably, Savrianoi also have a strong respect for strength and martial might, giving them a natural mindset for conquest and a pronounced taste for gladiatorial fights.
Humans are dispersed all across the Empire into a multitude of tribes who developed their own unique cultures over the centuries. Except for those who decided to leave their tribes to go live in the large cities, they share two common traits despite cultural differences: a nomadic lifestyle, and following the tenets of the Dharma’s Balance. The latter is a philosophy that endeavors to bring inner peace by balancing one’s emotions, striving to never let one overwhelm the others.
Kentauroi are known to have a penchant for extreme violence only tempered by a very special kind of sense of honor. Even though this isn’t true of most of them, their society follows a mentality of survival of the fittest and considers that might makes right. Few virtues aside from strength, skill and honesty are considered worthwhile. Mercy and compassion for an enemy earn, at best, condescending mockery.
Lykonoi clans are too numerous to list, as a clan can be as small as a single family. These clans often encompass the local settlement, be it a farm, a village or a town, although several clans may coexist in the larger cities. Lykonoi society is a complex network of loyalties, grudges, debts, and favors. A clan’s prestige reputation is entirely based on the integrity and achievements of its members, past and present. Thus, a small clan of twenty individuals may be more prestigious than one that numbers several hundred and consequently will be more valued by their peers.
There is a final major component of Addacian society that must be mentioned: the Dragon Guild, an ancient religious organization that worships Kotzolr, the Dragon God. Guild temples can be found in every city, along with banks and laboratories. Indeed, the Dragon Guild is not only made of priests and religious followers but also bankers and alchemists. Over the centuries since its creation, the Guild has become immensely rich and powerful to the point of being allowed by Imperial law to maintain armed soldiers to protect its interests. Like the mythical dragons it represents in its aesthetics, the Guild watches over its possessions with vigilance and ferocity. The Dragon Guild is so powerful that the Emperor may call upon its warriors to serve alongside the Legions in times of war, and the Guild wisely answers the call every time.
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The day-to-day decision-making necessary for the Empire to function is made by the Senate on one hand, and the Tribunal on the other. The former, made up of each Addacian noble family’s head, proposes, discusses and votes on laws and motions, while the latter as elected plebeian officials may veto any senatorial decision if they judge that said decision would be damaging to the pleb’s interests.
Above the Senate and Tribunal rules the Emperor as an absolute monarch: his word is law, and his power is unrestricted by any assembly or legal instrument. Even though the role of the Senate and Tribunal is also to counsel the Emperor, in the end his decisions have absolute authority, although wise Emperors take care not to overrule the Senate and Tribunal too often.
Emperors designate their own heirs: often their own children, although this is not always the case even if the current Emperor has living children.
Above the Senate and Tribunal rules the Emperor as an absolute monarch: his word is law, and his power is unrestricted by any assembly or legal instrument. Even though the role of the Senate and Tribunal is also to counsel the Emperor, in the end his decisions have absolute authority, although wise Emperors take care not to overrule the Senate and Tribunal too often.
Emperors designate their own heirs: often their own children, although this is not always the case even if the current Emperor has living children.
Addacian architecture is remarkable for the beauty and quality of its works: magnificent temples, palaces and magistratures, aqueducts, fountains, stone bridges, sewage tunnels, and of course imposing curtain walls, towers and fortresses. Addacian cities attract the best craftsmen and metalworkers, profiting from the busy trade routes and growing rich from the production of high-grade weapons and armor, exquisite jewelry and colorful fabrics.
The Dragon Guild is perhaps the highest concentration of talented artisans, and the alchemic brews and salves that they sell in their temples have healed many Addacian citizens from otherwise incurable ailments. The Guild’s most notorious achievement is the substance known as dragon fire: a thick, viscous and extremely flammable liquid that sticks to any surface and is almost impossible to extinguish.
Magic on Uboras comes from within one’s self: more precisely, one’s own emotions. They fall into seven broad groups named Dharma. Some people, Human for the most part, are capable of feeling the presence of the Dharma to a greater degree than others. These people, through lengthy training, may become Dharma wielders, capable of consciously producing more Dharma from their memories and transforming it through meditation into a reserve of usable magic that can then be employed for spells thanks to specific hand gestures and glyphs that one draws in the air.
The nature and effects of these spells depend heavily on which Dharma is used to produce them. Dharma wielders can only hold so much Dharma inside them, depending on their affinity with them and their experience. A Dharma wielder who spends all of his reserves may not use magic until he can take time to meditate in order to process more Dharma.
Harad: The Dharma of Anger. Its main attribute is Strength.
Kietsu: The Dharma of Joy. Its main attribute is Creativity.
Yûku: The Dharma of Suffering. Its main attribute is Time.
Inyo: The Dharma of Lust. Its main attribute is Vitality.
Nintai: The Dharma of Patience. Its main attribute is Preservation.
Aikô: The Dharma of Love. Its main attribute is Dedication.
Kyô: The Dharma of Insanity. Its main attribute is Luck.
The Dragon Guild is perhaps the highest concentration of talented artisans, and the alchemic brews and salves that they sell in their temples have healed many Addacian citizens from otherwise incurable ailments. The Guild’s most notorious achievement is the substance known as dragon fire: a thick, viscous and extremely flammable liquid that sticks to any surface and is almost impossible to extinguish.
Magic on Uboras comes from within one’s self: more precisely, one’s own emotions. They fall into seven broad groups named Dharma. Some people, Human for the most part, are capable of feeling the presence of the Dharma to a greater degree than others. These people, through lengthy training, may become Dharma wielders, capable of consciously producing more Dharma from their memories and transforming it through meditation into a reserve of usable magic that can then be employed for spells thanks to specific hand gestures and glyphs that one draws in the air.
The nature and effects of these spells depend heavily on which Dharma is used to produce them. Dharma wielders can only hold so much Dharma inside them, depending on their affinity with them and their experience. A Dharma wielder who spends all of his reserves may not use magic until he can take time to meditate in order to process more Dharma.
Harad: The Dharma of Anger. Its main attribute is Strength.
Kietsu: The Dharma of Joy. Its main attribute is Creativity.
Yûku: The Dharma of Suffering. Its main attribute is Time.
Inyo: The Dharma of Lust. Its main attribute is Vitality.
Nintai: The Dharma of Patience. Its main attribute is Preservation.
Aikô: The Dharma of Love. Its main attribute is Dedication.
Kyô: The Dharma of Insanity. Its main attribute is Luck.
The Addacian Empire maintains a standing army to control its vast territory and combat banditry, patrol its dangerous borders and garrison fortresses in tributary states to ensure their loyalty. A number of full-sized Legions are also maintained in order to be able to respond quickly to attacks by neighboring kingdoms and tribes.
The Legion is the largest Addacian military unit, which always possesses a hard core of Savrianoi regular troops. In addition, between one-third and half of every legion is comprised of auxiliary units from tributary states and vassals, providing flexibility and specialization to each Legion according to its needs.
The Legion is the largest Addacian military unit, which always possesses a hard core of Savrianoi regular troops. In addition, between one-third and half of every legion is comprised of auxiliary units from tributary states and vassals, providing flexibility and specialization to each Legion according to its needs.
(Only a few auxiliary units are listed below as examples, as there are too many to list them all.)
Savrianoi Legionarii: Heavy infantry serving as an army's main fighting force, wearing half-plate armor and armed with halberds, round shields strapped to their left arm, and swords. They do most of the fighting, taking advantage of their physiology and discipline to overpower their opponents.
Savrianoi Sagittarii: Using longbows and armored with chainmail hauberks, the archers provide ranged support for the army. They carry a sword for close-quarters defense.
Savrianoi Velites: Light infantry unarmored save for a helmet, they carry a shield and an axe along with javelins. Their speed makes them useful for screening, harassing the enemy, and attacking vulnerable units.
Savrianoi Equites Legionis: A cavalry unit equipped with Legionarius armor and shields, long spears, and swords. They guard the army’s flanks, intercept enemy cavalry and pursue fleeing foes.
Kentauroi Praedatores: Lightly armored, they use bows and spears to great effect in combination with their mobility. They are invariably the swiftest unit in an Addacian legion.
Kentauroi Custodes: These warriors are hand-picked to serve as the noble ruling class’ bodyguards. On the battlefield, they serve as an elite cavalry force, proficient both at range and in melee combat with better armor than the other warriors.
Lykonoi Venatores: Skilled bowmen, the hunters serve both as scouts thanks to their superior senses and as archers during the battle. They wear no armor, preferring to stay out of reach of the enemy.
Lykonoi Pedites: Wearing helmets and padded armor, the ferocious Lykonoi warriors use two-handed axes or hammers to tear the enemy apart as shock infantry. Their light armor and lack of shields make them vulnerable to projectiles.
Dragon Guild Spearmen: These soldiers are responsible for guarding the Dragon Guild’s property, watching over banks, laboratories, and temples. Equipped with spears, square shields, and bronze scale armor fashioned to resemble dragon scales along with a helm made to look like a dragon’s head, they can be a front-line formation in battle.
Dragon Guild Swordsmen: Armed with two-handed curved swords and the same dragon-like armor as the Spearmen, they are the elite warriors of the Guild, entrusted with small clay pots filled with dragon fire that they throw at the enemy before closing in.
Dragon Archers: On par with the Swordsmen as an elite force, the Dragon Archers wear an open version of the helm used by other Guild troops. The arrows they shoot have a small amount of dragon fire applied to them, which allows the Dragon Archers to deliver volleys of very effective fire arrows.
Savrianoi Legionarii: Heavy infantry serving as an army's main fighting force, wearing half-plate armor and armed with halberds, round shields strapped to their left arm, and swords. They do most of the fighting, taking advantage of their physiology and discipline to overpower their opponents.
Savrianoi Sagittarii: Using longbows and armored with chainmail hauberks, the archers provide ranged support for the army. They carry a sword for close-quarters defense.
Savrianoi Velites: Light infantry unarmored save for a helmet, they carry a shield and an axe along with javelins. Their speed makes them useful for screening, harassing the enemy, and attacking vulnerable units.
Savrianoi Equites Legionis: A cavalry unit equipped with Legionarius armor and shields, long spears, and swords. They guard the army’s flanks, intercept enemy cavalry and pursue fleeing foes.
Kentauroi Praedatores: Lightly armored, they use bows and spears to great effect in combination with their mobility. They are invariably the swiftest unit in an Addacian legion.
Kentauroi Custodes: These warriors are hand-picked to serve as the noble ruling class’ bodyguards. On the battlefield, they serve as an elite cavalry force, proficient both at range and in melee combat with better armor than the other warriors.
Lykonoi Venatores: Skilled bowmen, the hunters serve both as scouts thanks to their superior senses and as archers during the battle. They wear no armor, preferring to stay out of reach of the enemy.
Lykonoi Pedites: Wearing helmets and padded armor, the ferocious Lykonoi warriors use two-handed axes or hammers to tear the enemy apart as shock infantry. Their light armor and lack of shields make them vulnerable to projectiles.
Dragon Guild Spearmen: These soldiers are responsible for guarding the Dragon Guild’s property, watching over banks, laboratories, and temples. Equipped with spears, square shields, and bronze scale armor fashioned to resemble dragon scales along with a helm made to look like a dragon’s head, they can be a front-line formation in battle.
Dragon Guild Swordsmen: Armed with two-handed curved swords and the same dragon-like armor as the Spearmen, they are the elite warriors of the Guild, entrusted with small clay pots filled with dragon fire that they throw at the enemy before closing in.
Dragon Archers: On par with the Swordsmen as an elite force, the Dragon Archers wear an open version of the helm used by other Guild troops. The arrows they shoot have a small amount of dragon fire applied to them, which allows the Dragon Archers to deliver volleys of very effective fire arrows.
