LloydTurquoise

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

Yeah I'm here still :D

God and Country - A low-fantasy renaissance NRP of religion and discovery

I will finish it soon.

Kingdom of Vohemia



Nation Overview
Though not a backwater, Vohemia is certainly a seldom thought corner of the Fiorentian world. More concerned with petty conflicts between mountain clans than the political apparatus of the continent. It is more of a nation kept on it's toes and with an opportunistic mindset, away from legal or religious prying eyes on the edge of the world.
Even though Vohemia is an absolute monarchy, the titles of the King not only include the Obsidian Crown of Vohemia, but also Lord of the Kretz Valley, Lord-Patron of the Damolong Marches and Paramount of the Southern Snow.

King Zikmund III is a cruel young man. Having lost his right eye in an assassination attempt, he hung all his father's bastards from the bridge to his keep in Radobyl. The Queen-Consort Sabina is a headstong woman prone to arguing with the king on a regular basis. Though they have produced an heir, Stepan, and a princess, Noemi, the two spend as much time apart as possible.

Geography

Map Claim

Geography

The lands that range from the boreal mountains of the south and the Kretz Valley to the more temperate lands north, towards the Damolong Estury. The mountains of the Kretz Valley are populated with tall peaks and a pair of active volcanos, lined and wrapped in blankets of pines and firs.
The Beaches and cliffs of the coasts are bulkwards to thin layers of farmland and pastures, dotted with villages and keeps of various sorts between the larger towns and connected with veins of paths and roads.
The course of the Damolong is seated with marches and border barons on the eastern banks and the kingdom proper on the west. There is more autonomy on the border baron side, though that lasts for the bare few leagues thoses lands penetrate eastwards. Along the coast and in the interior of the kingdom, the rule of thumb is the further south you are, the less farmers and the more loggers.

The port cities of Bystre, on the estury, and Dehylov are more dedicated to trade and shipyards than for fishing.
Valkerice built along the banks of Lake Giz, famous for being surrounded by layers of canals and irrigation.
Lisen is a mountain keep where eventually all plunder of border barons ends up. Their ventures into the barren lands or against mountain clans on occasion vecome profitable.
Radobyl is the ancestral fortress of the Vin Casomir family for some two centuries. It's castle and palace kept at arms length above the city, with the Svatlava Bridge seperating the two.

History

The Vohemians were initially a cultural and ethnic group that lived further east, though driven west, they conquered and settled the lands of modern Voheima from the Clans of the mountains, eventually making an alliance between the red griffin men and consolidating their hold. The first king of Vohemia have since worn the obsidian crown, having taken the very land as their prize.
The Vin Casomirs however, are descendants of the hetman who overthrew his newly appointed king and married his daughter shortly after. Thus sealing the line of Vin Casomir as the sole rulers of Vohemia.
Conversion to the Fiorentian church came in the Kessite Wars. The Kess peoples who forced the Vohemians from their lands soon followed them to the banks of the Damolong. In exchange for crusader swords and monetary aid, King Stepan II became the first Fiorentian King of Vohemia.

With the eastern Damolong purged of Kessites, the crusaders would later become the first border barons and set up their own baronies in liege to the Vohemian kings. Though their numbers fluctuate, a strong hundred or so barons still patrol and maintain their lands.
Though unassuming, an invasion of Rehabe, in conjunction with one of the islander kings, saw a parcel of land given to the Vohemian invaders. The Vohemian's control however was eroded over time as economic pressure and intimidation saw a diaspora of the migrants back to the mainland in the reign of King Ripand 1st. Border barons are known to make ventures up the tributaries of the Damolong, though not without charter from the king or ducal sponsorship.

The southern mountain clans have often been home to covens and camps of heretics and magically inclined. Often having to be surpressed by local lords and their Plukovniks (colonels) to put down efforts of uniting or rebellion.

In more recent history, the eruption of Mount Tizana has devastated the lands of the eastern Kretz Valley, forcing many of the landed gentry and lords north to the Radobyl and to Dehylov in the west.

Society

The Vohemian calendar is full of both Fiorentian holidays and national festivals, such as Wenceslaus Day and the Reindeer festival. The peoples themselves are divided in the commons between serfs and freemen, then onto gentry, both landed and not. Finally you have the nobility ending with the king at the top.

Vohemians are devout Fiorentians as part of their national identity. It's what separates them from the heathen mountain clans and the kessites before them.
The Vohemians of the migratory period were known for their horsemanship, thought that has declined with the introduction of knights and heavy cavalry. The resurgence of Uhlan cavalry regiments have only reinvigorated this stereotype a little and even then only amongst landed gentry and aristocrats.

Most cultural carvings and decorations are made from the various woods that are available in the Kretz Valley mountains. It is not uncommon of clergy of Vohemian to where icons of Saint Fiorentian made of wood, nor is it to pass wayshrines carved into hollowed out trees beside roads.

Economy

Despite logging and subsistence farming dominating most rural economies, it is mining of raw materials such as iron, copper, tin and sulfur that is the real business and fillers of coffers in Vohemia.

With limited manufacturing in cities, the only manufactured exports are either merchant ships produced with native lumber and gunpowder from nitratries and sulfur of nearby volcanos. It is other manufactured goods, such a cloth, silk and artillery, along with spices and exotic luxuries that are in high demand in Vohemian ports.

Military

The Vohemian army is divided between plukovniks each in charge of a regiment of roughly five hundred men. Most plukovniks are chartered by lords, it's not uncommon for the lords to make themselves their own plukovniks for direct control of their own regiment. The higher the rank of a soldier, the more armour they can probably afford generally, as very few plukovniks pay for extra armour for their troops.
Each regiment of Pike is made up of five hundred pikemen, made up mostly of freemen and gentry.
Each of the more uncommon regiments of horse are made up of five hundred uhlans, armed with lances and sabres. They are recruited from the landed gentry that descend from vohemian knights of old.
Regiments of Axe are made up of the woodsmen and serfs. They combine arquebusers with axes as a combined ranged/melee unit.
All of the Cannons of the Vohemian military are monopolized by the navy. Twenty carracks carry their pairs of sakers and handfuls of falconets on their forecastles and aftcastles.

Altogether, there are about twenty five thousand men available for service. Two thousand of which are dedicated crews of the Vohemian navy. The rest are divided between the three regiment types.

God and Country - A low-fantasy renaissance NRP of religion and discovery

I am interested.

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

Frostbiter
In Orbit of Heilagur

The second hanger of the Frostbiter had been renovated for the research teams of the expedition. Wedged between stacks of servers and electronics were pale curtains hedged the lab spaces.
Abraham looked on tables that were already covered with scattered papers, along with other scientific paraphernalia. Walking down the improvised corridor, Abe had to weave and sidestep himself around researchers and scientists as they moved their equipment or carried their work in and around the hanger.

Abraham was heading down to the aft of the ship, towards the CDC and the offices of that section of the vessel. The rectangular shaped lift opened up on the wall of the hanger some fifty meters from him, spotting people moving in and out of it. Before he could reach it though, the heavy, clunky doors closed and sealed as the lift went up the ship. Abe's frustration quickly washed out as he patiently waited for the numbers above the horizontal doors climbed and fell again.

"Are you settled into your office Mr Var Constavos?" Asked a surprisingly casually dressed Lieutenant Tethys. Abe saw her to his side and whipped up a polite smile.
"Yes I have, it was bigger than I'd expected but it's suits my needs" Abe responded without pressing for anymore of a conversation, slipping his vision back to the lift. In the corner of his eye, Abe could still see the lieutenant standing next to him, her head turned to stare at the same numbers.

"I'm sure that this meeting won't take too long hopefully" Tethys said as they waited with more people for the elevator. "I wouldn't mind so much if the timing onboard wasn't off from Heilagur so much" Tethys continued, looking to Abraham for confirmation of some sort.
Abe raised his eyebrows. "I know what you mean, I worked on Alsis with it's forty eight hour day but you get used to it..." Abe's mind stumbled upon a thought "...Have you not been stationed off-world before Lieutenant?"

The doors of the elevator retracted back and the duo assembled into the lift that became quickly crowded. The envoy and the dispatcher were pressed shoulder to shoulder as the doors clanged shut.
"No... this will be my first assignment off-world" Lieutenant Tethys said with an honest glance to the Abe in the tight space between them.

Abe's mind gulped, suddenly a bit more nervous, though he tried to rationalise to calm down his mind.

-=-=-

The conference room was located a floor below the CDC, the ceiling curved like they were inside a giant shell. A dozen chairs surrounded a long table, though about half were filled at that point in time.
Abraham sat opposite the Lieutenant, trading small talk with the research leads beside her.
A chair away from the envoy sat Wing Commander Willow, the officer in charge of the Frostbiter's strikecraft complement. His head was shaven and was delighted in telling Abe the condition of the first hanger and how better a posting it was from his last.

"I tell ya' what though, breaking any of this shit would cost me an arm and a leg" The commander said boldly, leaning over the chair between him and Abe.
Before Abe could answer, the bulkhead into the conference room opened swiftly and the captain stepped in with a retinue of officers, everyone at the table stood up.

"Please, sit down" the captain said, a woman with her hair tied back into a tail and her uniform laden with a humble collection of medals. As the chairs scraped against the floor of the room, the captain walked over to her seat. "I hope we all are prepared to leave orbit" The military officers in the room let out a collective 'aye' while the civilian's either nodded or looked bewildered.

"Good, now you all know how important this expedition is. So this briefing is more of a meet and greet before we cast off. I don't need to tell you how dangerous it can get beyond Doctrinate space" The captain started, letting her words simmer around the table.
"I'm sure we all have our own objectives on this expedition, but we all have to share the same goal of getting everyone back safe and sound" The captain continued.

"With that said, we also have this fairly heavy briefing to get through..." the captain lifted the heavy folder placed on the table in front of her. "...hopefully, the mess will still be open by the time we finish so if you all would like to open your copies" The captain started, with junior officers handing out folders to each of the people at the table.

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

@TheSovereignGrave I don't have a problem with that, sure come on down.

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

<Snipped quote by LloydTurquoise>

The Commonwealth will be their...friends.

_{om nom nom nom nom}

@Ozerath

I trust you implicitly.

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

@Lauder
Yeah, turn your people around and tell you about the 'good word'! 'Cus your faction obviously enslaves people to preserve life and guide them with no personal gain whatsoever right?

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

Does anyone wanna be the Doctrinate's buddy. I'll do your planetary gardening for you!

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

My first IC post is up.

#godhead #selfie

Fade: Space NRP-RPG fusion

Pinehelm
Heilagur

Abraham tried to brush the sleep out of his eyes, as he stood on the concrete platform beside his numerous colleagues. Abe checked the curls of his 'stache with his thumb and forefinger, tracing the hairs as the nearly looped themselves over his scarred cheeks.
A tram above the underground station made it's presence known with heavy rumbles that shook he pillars and the ceiling.

"Is it true...that this station...is as old..as the human colony here?" said a lumbering, aged alsibass. With the intermittent blurting of common-heilaguran all alsibass spoke with. Abe looked up to his travelling companion, Akstadissijjo, his skin was shaded more grey and worn than that of a younger alsibass.
"I believe so, though some of these tunnels run through old fortifications built by the original heilagurans" Abraham told the alsibass, watching his eye stalks as the peered over the platform's edge and down the dark maws that the tracks flowed through.

Akstadissijjo was the elder of his clan, he had joined Abraham on his journey back to Heilagur and it was the alsibass' first time off world. As was alsibass tradition, Abraham had gotten him the gift of a camera. Akstad hadn't stopped taking photos to take back to his clan.
Abraham didn't know what to do with his gift, a war-hatchet made from obsidian and wrapped in patterned cloth.

Around them were a small escort of clergy, wrapped in pale robes. Certainly making Abraham, in his dark suit and half shoulder cape in blue, along with Akstad and his leg wraps and leather harness seem out of place.

Abe looked behind the clergy and the tiled pillars to see shrines imbedded in the walls, the lifts and stairs in and out of the station wedged between candles and various icons. The smell of incense that reminded Abe of cinnamon, graced his nostrils as it permeated the station.

A dull screech rolled down the tracks as announcers to the arrival of the tram. The clergy around them picked up their cases and other religious paraphernalia in preparation for embarking and for the experience millions never get.

The lights of the tram panned out in from of the long tram. Through the windows Abe could spot various people, some in communal prayer, others in silent meditation or reverent chat between themselves.
As the tram squealed to a halt, select doors were opened and out emerged dark armoured figures, dispatchers with helmets laced with orange and red lights and electronics. Each was armed with various firearms, and each rippled authority across the platform as Abe and Akstad stepped onto the train.

To the bow of the train, sat numerous clergy and pilgrims in a whispering choir of prayer, some sat on seats and others on the gangway. To the stern waited a dispatcher with her helmet removed, her brown eyes were locked on Akstad as he ducked his eye stalks and bend his legs to fit inside. Alongside her was a drone, shaped like a shell and floating from the ground with a hefty lens peering to the two new passengers.

"Welcome, welcome. Envoy Var Constavos and Akstadissijjo of the Fire-Chasers. I am Tekmi-20, the Godhead's assistant" The drone echoed out of it's shell to the two newcomers, bowing it's lens to them.
"I am Lieutenant Tethys" the dishelmed dispatcher with her hand extended for Abraham. As Abraham took up the shake with a smile, he saw the lieutenant's eyes look to the Alsibass' clawed hands.

As Akstad extended his own hand, the lieutenant bowed to him instead. Akstad politely bowed back to the dispatcher and Abe could feel an underlining tension press against his mind.

"We have an appointment to keep" the drone swung around and floated with a bobbing motion down towards the back of the train. The lieutenant stepped to the side to allow Akstad and Abraham passage down the gangway. The envoy trailed behind the lumbering alsibass as they followed shortly behind the drone.

The train was starting it's departure as they walked between carriages, each one becoming more and more diluted of clergy and passengers until finally they came upon heavily guarded doors.
Some dozen or so dispatchers assorted themselves on the seats and along the gangway of the carriage, clearing themselves out of the way for the quartet as they finally entered the final carriage.

It was decorated rather resplendently, cloth and silk curtains draped lavishly over the edges and narrowed the windows.
In the centre sat a rectangular box, made from steel and plastic, sat on a long and burgundy pillow. It was engraved and etched with glyphs and symbols, to help determine which tomb it was.
A mask, it's eye sockets filled with bright blue light, lifted itself up with it's appendage and looked up at the newcomers.

A knot in Abraham's stomach tensed again as he stood and bowed before the Godhead, before kneeling beside a squatting Akstad.

"I'm glad you both have managed to join us today" A voice simmered out from invisible gaps in the tomb, echoing with such gravity that the carriage sounded quieter after.
"It is... an honour to... be in your...presence" Akstad said, his eye stalks were low and reverent.
"I too am honoured your holiness" Abraham added with his face facing the floor of the carriage.

"I am sorry that we could only meet while my tomb is in transit, but we must prepare for extinction remembrance" the Godhead's voice was a collection of voices, cast into one united sound with essences of the masculine and feminine tones.

"It is splendid to see two excellent representatives of their species before they are sent to their duties to the Doctrinate" the Godhead remarked, Abe glancing at the drone that lingered like a buoy floating on calm, invisible waves beside the tomb.
"I would like to tell you both that your tasks ahead of you are different but ultimately the same. To bring understanding and strengthen ties" the Godhead continued.

"Akstadissijjo of the Fire-Chasers, I would like to thank you again for coming to Heilagur, I know you have many functions to attend and lectures to give, I trust everything is to your liking?" The Godhead gently glided it's mask over to Akstad, who bowed his head forwards and back.
"Yes... everything is good... thank you... your holiness" Akstad said with his eye stalks raised more to match the four eyes of the mask. As it moved, Abe could see the Godhead's eye lights trail behind it's movements, like time slowed down in the brief moments it moved.

"And Envoy Var Constavos, you are settled on the Frostbiter well, are you not?" Abe nodded.
"Yes your holiness, I am well-replenished and ready for mission" Abraham told the Godhead.

"Good,good. The Lieutenant will accompany you as your dispatcher coordinator, for the mission with the Frostbiter's crew and research teams. I hope you will require her expertise as an advisor and not as a soldier." The Godhead nodded it's mask.

Natural light poured into the carriage, the duration of the tracks underground had ended and the sights of Pineshelm stood for miles around the tracks.
"Your holiness... if I may..." Akstad said as he lifted an arm into the weaved satchel pulled around his torso. "May we... take an image... to commemorate... and take back... to my clan?" Akstad finished, pulling his camera and gripping it clumsily in his claws.

The Godhead nodded an affirmative, and Akstad lifted his camera to someone who would take it.
Abraham stood up and grabbed the camera, watching the as the alsibass moved into position beside the Godhead and the tomb produced a new appendage for a hand shake photo.

"Okay ready" Abraham said, as the flash subsumed the carriage for a brief second.

-=-=-

As the Seal dropship wailed and hissed it's landing into the loading bay, Abe had the last of his packed bags beside him along with the remaining crew and passengers set to get to their new offices and stations on the Frostbiter.
The rear hatch of the ship folded open and it's bare interior was quickly filling up with bags and people, Abe turned to Akstad beside him.

The train departed from the latest station behind them, clergy aboard the transport set off down stairs and towards other parts of the travel hub.
"You're staying in this tower aren't you?" Abe asked Akstad, who nodded his torso.
"Yes... my hotel...room is on...the higher...levels" Akstad said positively.

"Well, good luck then Akstad" Abe reached down to pick up his bag, before he felt Akstad's claw on his shoulder.

"Wait...Last image" Akstad pulled the camera out of his satchel as he slid his arm over Abe's neck and shoulders. Abe was more than willing to oblige, pulling up his cheeks as he peeled a grin across his face, just as Akstad bowed his eye stacks in similar elation.

The flash went off, and the photo was done. Abe picked up his bag and shook Akstad's claw.

"Catch the fire...Abraham"
"You too Akstad"