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Population: 24 million, 1.5 million Shaydarians, 4 million Elves, 2.5 million Centaurs, 6 million dwarfs, 10 million humans
Capital: Ke Thalor
Faction: Justinian
Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
Government Description: While the Shaydarians were ruled by a King or Queen, they found the peoples of Ke Thalor unfit to become subjects to their direct rule in such terms, as such the King of Shaydarians elected a council of the freed peoples to rule over the newly founded realm gifted to them. This Meritocracy ensured that the freed peoples of the Elves were governed by their own, while in turn ruled by the Shaydarian King, and ruled only by those who had proven capable of such a task. The Shaydarians do not take corruption lightly, and while they prefer to not enforce their views on their newfound charges, they will remove any from power when proven incapable.
The rule of the Shaydarians itself is not passed from family member to family member, upon the death of a King or Queen, the crown is held in mourning, for no less than 360 days, and the new ruler is selected from the most prestigious and honorable of their number.
Head of State: King Hephaestus
Currency: Sacros are now the main currency, with gold eagles, silver falcons and copper hawks providing a local currency that is slowly being phased out to allow easier trade with the core realms.
Languages: Sancthiyin Elvish is prominent in all the cities, with many Shaydarians speaking it in public, while they prefer their own language of Athamos. The freed peoples of Ke Thalor speak a variety languages, with Sancthiyin and Aemarine taking precedence over all others.
Short History: The Thalorian Imperium was an Elvish realm, who performed many barbaric practices and horrendous acts against other sentients. During their reign they often sought to lay claim to the Shaydarian Mountains, but were always pushed back, from the moment they set foot within the foothills of the Mountains they faced the fierce Shaydarian warriors, diving from the skies to slaughter the Elves with every push they made. After nearly seven centuries of constant attempts to take the Mountains, many of the enslaved races the Elves held as property rebelled against their masters. Seeing an opportunity to deal with a constant and now tiresome threat, and to free people from slavery. Finally unleashing his warriors, the aged King Hephaestus ordered an offensive that pushed the Elves all the way back to their very capital, city after city fell to them, and an army of freed slaves followed the rapidly advancing Shaydarians every step of the way.
It would be another six months before the Elf Emperor knelt before the warriors of the Mountains, watching as his government and ruling caste were charged with various crimes against life, and dealt with as justice demanded. To the Emperor, he was brought before the King, finally looking upon the eyes of one who had defied him so thoroughly for so long. His crimes were many, and well documented, the butchery of innocents, enslavement of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, and a callous disregard for life, there was only one end befitting such a creature.
Seeing such a show of true justice, and how easily the Shaydarians replaced the ruling government of an Imperium, the first of the Justinian Demi-Avatars appeared in the court of the Shaydarians, bringing the light of Justice to the Shaydarian Mountains, and the former Thalorian Imperium. As a reward for their commitment to the very namesake of Justice, the Shaydarians became the rulers of the Imperium, now renamed to the Shaydarian Grand Kingdom.
Capital: Ke Thalor
Faction: Justinian
Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
Government Description: While the Shaydarians were ruled by a King or Queen, they found the peoples of Ke Thalor unfit to become subjects to their direct rule in such terms, as such the King of Shaydarians elected a council of the freed peoples to rule over the newly founded realm gifted to them. This Meritocracy ensured that the freed peoples of the Elves were governed by their own, while in turn ruled by the Shaydarian King, and ruled only by those who had proven capable of such a task. The Shaydarians do not take corruption lightly, and while they prefer to not enforce their views on their newfound charges, they will remove any from power when proven incapable.
The rule of the Shaydarians itself is not passed from family member to family member, upon the death of a King or Queen, the crown is held in mourning, for no less than 360 days, and the new ruler is selected from the most prestigious and honorable of their number.
Head of State: King Hephaestus
Currency: Sacros are now the main currency, with gold eagles, silver falcons and copper hawks providing a local currency that is slowly being phased out to allow easier trade with the core realms.
Languages: Sancthiyin Elvish is prominent in all the cities, with many Shaydarians speaking it in public, while they prefer their own language of Athamos. The freed peoples of Ke Thalor speak a variety languages, with Sancthiyin and Aemarine taking precedence over all others.
Short History: The Thalorian Imperium was an Elvish realm, who performed many barbaric practices and horrendous acts against other sentients. During their reign they often sought to lay claim to the Shaydarian Mountains, but were always pushed back, from the moment they set foot within the foothills of the Mountains they faced the fierce Shaydarian warriors, diving from the skies to slaughter the Elves with every push they made. After nearly seven centuries of constant attempts to take the Mountains, many of the enslaved races the Elves held as property rebelled against their masters. Seeing an opportunity to deal with a constant and now tiresome threat, and to free people from slavery. Finally unleashing his warriors, the aged King Hephaestus ordered an offensive that pushed the Elves all the way back to their very capital, city after city fell to them, and an army of freed slaves followed the rapidly advancing Shaydarians every step of the way.
It would be another six months before the Elf Emperor knelt before the warriors of the Mountains, watching as his government and ruling caste were charged with various crimes against life, and dealt with as justice demanded. To the Emperor, he was brought before the King, finally looking upon the eyes of one who had defied him so thoroughly for so long. His crimes were many, and well documented, the butchery of innocents, enslavement of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, and a callous disregard for life, there was only one end befitting such a creature.
Seeing such a show of true justice, and how easily the Shaydarians replaced the ruling government of an Imperium, the first of the Justinian Demi-Avatars appeared in the court of the Shaydarians, bringing the light of Justice to the Shaydarian Mountains, and the former Thalorian Imperium. As a reward for their commitment to the very namesake of Justice, the Shaydarians became the rulers of the Imperium, now renamed to the Shaydarian Grand Kingdom.
Unique Attribute/s: WIP
Ancient Civilisation: The Shaydarians have ruled their Kingdom for thousands of years, and seen the fall of multiple pantheons new and old, they ruled as the Chosen of the Aeonic Pantheon, they wish for the past almost as much as they fear it, for these times were before their enlightenment as a species, a time where blood was spilled over the slightest perceived insult. Few records of this time remain in their control, and what little is recorded, is guarded within the Great Library within Stormpeak.
Distrustful: Since the Imperium's slaughter of Acestes, the Shaydarians view the world's races with distrust, ever guarded against revealing too much of their own secrets, and warded against any possible attack. When in a room the Shaydarians will always keep their back to the wall.
Diplomatic Warriors: With their trained warriors, there are many silver-tongued diplomats, always trying to keep violence as a last resort to a simple disagreement, the Shaydarians provide a diplomatic corps for Justinia, and it is not uncommon to see bands of Shaydarians visiting regions rife with war, lack of civil order, and rebellion.
Map: N/A
Cities: Ke Thalor, Stormpeak Eerie, Shadowdawn Eerie, Odysseus’ Sanctuary, Ilnetaysi, Filenna Aethel, Ayanashys, Grimrock (formerly Sama Thalor), Brinesport (formerly the Elven Port city of Raal Thamar), Starfall Eerie
Castles: Falkerstone Castle, Angarth Hold, Blackhill Fort, Ironwrought Castle, Seraphim Keep, Stormgard Keep, Windswept Hold, Fort Trident, Koltaphgard
Temples: Temple of Isthmia, Temple of Justinia (built in Ke Thalor and Stormpeak Eyerie), Temple of Zephyra, Temple of Gregorios
Mountains: Shaydarian Mountain Range, Seraphim Mountain, Zephyr Peak, Starfall Mountain
Forests: Athel Soras, Athel Lorca
Cities: Ke Thalor, Stormpeak Eerie, Shadowdawn Eerie, Odysseus’ Sanctuary, Ilnetaysi, Filenna Aethel, Ayanashys, Grimrock (formerly Sama Thalor), Brinesport (formerly the Elven Port city of Raal Thamar), Starfall Eerie
Castles: Falkerstone Castle, Angarth Hold, Blackhill Fort, Ironwrought Castle, Seraphim Keep, Stormgard Keep, Windswept Hold, Fort Trident, Koltaphgard
Temples: Temple of Isthmia, Temple of Justinia (built in Ke Thalor and Stormpeak Eyerie), Temple of Zephyra, Temple of Gregorios
Mountains: Shaydarian Mountain Range, Seraphim Mountain, Zephyr Peak, Starfall Mountain
Forests: Athel Soras, Athel Lorca
Majority: Human 41%
The humans of the Shaydarian Kingdom are generally dark of skin, an aspect the Shaydarians themselves gave little thought to, until they met other humans who were pale of skin. It is clear that the Elves bred them to be strong, and this is shown in the great strength the humans hold, even compared to others of their race.
Minorities:
Shaydarians 6%
The Shaydarians consist of six varying sub-sects of avian-humanoids, each tailored to specific tasks during the days of the city-state wars, the tall and mighty Eaglites, backbone of the Shaydarian Warrior Caste, the shorter, swifter Zeyphrates, heart of the Shaydarian messengers, Falconors, master builders and great craftsmen, the Corvants, keen-eyed, shrewd veterans of the merchant world, the Hawkers, great healers and experts in herbal and spiritual arts of medicine, the Owltarians, wisest of the Shaydarians, it is little surprise that they form the core of the Isthmian cult.
Elves 16%
Just because it might need a male too
The Thalorian Elves are pale of skin, taller and fairer than humans, they tend to be thinner as well, and have almond-shaped eyes, with hair as white as snow, the few Elves who have various hair colors are mixed with other species, as any pure Thalorian will attest.
Dwarves 25%
The Dwarves of the Kingdom are common for their people, short, bearded and brutally honest in their views on others. They are split into twelve great Clans, and have little interest in the art of Magic itself, instead working with Isthmians to create magic-imbued weapons, they calling falls in to three simple and actively sought after areas. Warriors, craftsmen, and miners.
Centaurs 10%
The Centaurs of the Kingdom, also know as the Kurios, keep to the plains of the Kingdom, their herds migrate from region to region as their needs dictate, and few stay within the cities themselves. They are strong and able, and perform a variety of roles for the Kingdom, either as messengers, caravans of trade, or in the military as knights and woodriders.
The humans of the Shaydarian Kingdom are generally dark of skin, an aspect the Shaydarians themselves gave little thought to, until they met other humans who were pale of skin. It is clear that the Elves bred them to be strong, and this is shown in the great strength the humans hold, even compared to others of their race.
Minorities:
Shaydarians 6%
The Shaydarians consist of six varying sub-sects of avian-humanoids, each tailored to specific tasks during the days of the city-state wars, the tall and mighty Eaglites, backbone of the Shaydarian Warrior Caste, the shorter, swifter Zeyphrates, heart of the Shaydarian messengers, Falconors, master builders and great craftsmen, the Corvants, keen-eyed, shrewd veterans of the merchant world, the Hawkers, great healers and experts in herbal and spiritual arts of medicine, the Owltarians, wisest of the Shaydarians, it is little surprise that they form the core of the Isthmian cult.
Elves 16%
Just because it might need a male too
The Thalorian Elves are pale of skin, taller and fairer than humans, they tend to be thinner as well, and have almond-shaped eyes, with hair as white as snow, the few Elves who have various hair colors are mixed with other species, as any pure Thalorian will attest.
Dwarves 25%
The Dwarves of the Kingdom are common for their people, short, bearded and brutally honest in their views on others. They are split into twelve great Clans, and have little interest in the art of Magic itself, instead working with Isthmians to create magic-imbued weapons, they calling falls in to three simple and actively sought after areas. Warriors, craftsmen, and miners.
Centaurs 10%
The Centaurs of the Kingdom, also know as the Kurios, keep to the plains of the Kingdom, their herds migrate from region to region as their needs dictate, and few stay within the cities themselves. They are strong and able, and perform a variety of roles for the Kingdom, either as messengers, caravans of trade, or in the military as knights and woodriders.
State Religion: Justinian Orthodox
Patron Deity: Justice
Religious Demographics: N/A
Major Relics: Stormshard, Relic has been a part of the Shaydarian way of life since their first eyeries were built.
Lance of Justice: This weapon was created by the dwarves, with Isthmian and Elven magic worked into its creation, crafted from the rare metal known to the Shaydarians as Raw’tic, Screaming Howl, it is worked with beautiful artistic work and various embellishments to add lethality, it sits within the mighty Vault of Ke Thalor, awaiting the day when the Goddess of Justice requires such a weapon. (This is a relic to the people, with little to no hold to any god, as such if it is claimed by a rival faction, they are able to use it)
Holy Site: Temple of Isthmia, the First Temple of the Shaydarians, and protected as such. Here lies the Stormshard.
Notable Magical Institutions: Isthmian Order, tutors magic casters, or Isthmian as the Shaydarians call them, in the protective wards of Justinian, only when their power is equal to the task are they granted a piece of the Stormshard’s power, giving them powerful lightning based magicks. This now includes Elves, Humans, and Centaurs.
Order of the Sun, warrior monks tasked to root out evil and heresy, and to find any Isthmians not yet brought to their temple. They act as the unseen arm of the King, and are as secretive about their number as they are about their fortress monastery’s location. They search for any historical artefacts and it is not known if they return the artefacts to Justina or secret them away within their fortress-monastery. They are often seen mirroring the Justinian Oratorium agents working within the Kingdom.
Justinian Oratorium: The required agents of the Justinian faith, they are primarily situated within Ke Thalor, but have operational rights to move wherever they want within the Kingdom, even if they are followed, however indiscreetly, by Order of the Sun agents.
Order of the Knights Angelis, Crusader Order, the strongest of the Three Knightly Orders that are situated within the Grand Kingdom, lead by Lord Kaeso Cassius Barrius, they serve loyally to the cause of Justinia, and are the largest contributor to any request the Divine makes, never willing to be seen as unable to provide for their Deity’s demands. They have many Order Houses stationed throughout the Kingdom, and their fortress of Seraphim Keep is one of the greatest built in the Kingdom since the fall of the Imperium.
Order of Iron, the only Knightly Order that has few mounted warriors, other than the small number of Centaurs who passed their strict recruitment restrictions, lead by the venerable and stoic Knight Commander Joesph Ironbrow, their numbers are primarily made up of the Dwarves, with humans dotted throughout, they hold the Ironwrought Castle, believing that Iron can best any evil that the enemies of Justina can throw at them. While not the strongest or largest of the Orders, the sheer refusal of the Order of Iron to give ground to the enemy has blunted more than one enemy assault to such an extent that the rest of the army managed to regroup and take advantage of the stalled enemy.
Order of the Storm, This Knightly Order is primarily made of Isthmians, those proven enough to control their God-given gifts to become warriors as well as magic users, while their military force does consist more of warriors with not magical abilities, the Order of the Storm’s ruling council is all Isthmians of various races, including Elves. They do not enjoy being told that their magic is unholy, and take even the slightest hint of insult to heart. Since their refusal to aid a young noble and his force of infantry in an attempt to hold back a rampaging orc warband, they have come under Shaydarian observation, who have taken primary control of the Order. Their home of Stormgard Keep is almost always shrouded in a powerful storm, caused either by the Isthmians themselves, or possibly by nature, though few know in all certainty.
Justinian Paladin Academy, situated in Ke Thalor, the Academy trains and produces fine quality warriors of the Paladin creed, though few remain within the Grand Kingdom, it provides valuable experience for Paladins being sent to other nations.
Temple of Zephyra, the Second Temple of the Shaydarians, named for the first warrioress of their people who fell fighting the Elves of the Imperium, spitting curses and death until her death, she held the Elves at bay in the valley below what had originally been a shrine, her sacrifice earned her the a temple as recognition of her determination to see the enemy not step one foot within the Mountains themselves. Isthmians are often seen here learning to dedicate themselves to their tasks, and providing a solid base of mental discipline.
Temple of Gregorios, the third Temple of the Shaydarians is dedicated to Gregorios, a healer during the Imperial war, he was often seen search battlefields for any wounded, Shaydarian or Elf, while at the time he earned questionable looks from his brothers and sisters, King Hephaestus praised him, showing that if they could have peace, having Elves speak of it would go a long way to calming tense nerves. His statue depicts him as a healer, and Isthmians are often seen learning the healing art from this Temple.
Order of the Wardens, this Order is the only one to hold members from all races within the Kingdom, all their warriors dedicated to a single task, protecting the Kingdom from all threats. This can range from the physical threats of the world, to the immaterial threats that seep in through the cracks of the planes. Several places throughout the Kingdom hold a permanent presence of the Wardens, Grimrock, Starfall, and Athel Soras, where the immaterial have often appeared in such numbers it took a massive force to return them to their own plane.
The Shadow-walk Order, these Rangers, mostly Elves, provide a powerful core of reconnaissance warriors, masters of the undergrowth, capable hunters and death dealers, they are the eyes and ears of any military force on the march. They recruit on a basis of what they call the Shadow-walk, where a Ranger of the regular Army may find themselves alone and surrounded, facing the beasts of the Wild, if they survive three nights, they earn the title of Shadow-Walker, and are truly warriors to be feared. It has a high death-rate, as to be expected of the wilderness of the Kingdom, but those that pass more than make up for any losses. They have no primary hold or region, recruiting from across the Kingdom and only gathering in large camps for issues of grand importance.
Guild of Engineers: The Dwarves are the masters of technological advancement within the Kingdom, bringing refined formed of gunpowder weapons to the armouries of the Kingdom, and training their warriors in their use. It not uncommon to see units bearing these weapons in combat, either in the powerful, long-rifle, or the shorter hand-held versions more often seen with Dwarf officers in combat. The Guild has halls within every major city, although the mountain stronghold of Kharak-a-Varr houses the largest Guildhall.
Religious Interpretations:
Patron Deity: Justice
Religious Demographics: N/A
Major Relics: Stormshard, Relic has been a part of the Shaydarian way of life since their first eyeries were built.
Lance of Justice: This weapon was created by the dwarves, with Isthmian and Elven magic worked into its creation, crafted from the rare metal known to the Shaydarians as Raw’tic, Screaming Howl, it is worked with beautiful artistic work and various embellishments to add lethality, it sits within the mighty Vault of Ke Thalor, awaiting the day when the Goddess of Justice requires such a weapon. (This is a relic to the people, with little to no hold to any god, as such if it is claimed by a rival faction, they are able to use it)
Holy Site: Temple of Isthmia, the First Temple of the Shaydarians, and protected as such. Here lies the Stormshard.
Notable Magical Institutions: Isthmian Order, tutors magic casters, or Isthmian as the Shaydarians call them, in the protective wards of Justinian, only when their power is equal to the task are they granted a piece of the Stormshard’s power, giving them powerful lightning based magicks. This now includes Elves, Humans, and Centaurs.
Order of the Sun, warrior monks tasked to root out evil and heresy, and to find any Isthmians not yet brought to their temple. They act as the unseen arm of the King, and are as secretive about their number as they are about their fortress monastery’s location. They search for any historical artefacts and it is not known if they return the artefacts to Justina or secret them away within their fortress-monastery. They are often seen mirroring the Justinian Oratorium agents working within the Kingdom.
Justinian Oratorium: The required agents of the Justinian faith, they are primarily situated within Ke Thalor, but have operational rights to move wherever they want within the Kingdom, even if they are followed, however indiscreetly, by Order of the Sun agents.
Order of the Knights Angelis, Crusader Order, the strongest of the Three Knightly Orders that are situated within the Grand Kingdom, lead by Lord Kaeso Cassius Barrius, they serve loyally to the cause of Justinia, and are the largest contributor to any request the Divine makes, never willing to be seen as unable to provide for their Deity’s demands. They have many Order Houses stationed throughout the Kingdom, and their fortress of Seraphim Keep is one of the greatest built in the Kingdom since the fall of the Imperium.
Order of Iron, the only Knightly Order that has few mounted warriors, other than the small number of Centaurs who passed their strict recruitment restrictions, lead by the venerable and stoic Knight Commander Joesph Ironbrow, their numbers are primarily made up of the Dwarves, with humans dotted throughout, they hold the Ironwrought Castle, believing that Iron can best any evil that the enemies of Justina can throw at them. While not the strongest or largest of the Orders, the sheer refusal of the Order of Iron to give ground to the enemy has blunted more than one enemy assault to such an extent that the rest of the army managed to regroup and take advantage of the stalled enemy.
Order of the Storm, This Knightly Order is primarily made of Isthmians, those proven enough to control their God-given gifts to become warriors as well as magic users, while their military force does consist more of warriors with not magical abilities, the Order of the Storm’s ruling council is all Isthmians of various races, including Elves. They do not enjoy being told that their magic is unholy, and take even the slightest hint of insult to heart. Since their refusal to aid a young noble and his force of infantry in an attempt to hold back a rampaging orc warband, they have come under Shaydarian observation, who have taken primary control of the Order. Their home of Stormgard Keep is almost always shrouded in a powerful storm, caused either by the Isthmians themselves, or possibly by nature, though few know in all certainty.
Justinian Paladin Academy, situated in Ke Thalor, the Academy trains and produces fine quality warriors of the Paladin creed, though few remain within the Grand Kingdom, it provides valuable experience for Paladins being sent to other nations.
Temple of Zephyra, the Second Temple of the Shaydarians, named for the first warrioress of their people who fell fighting the Elves of the Imperium, spitting curses and death until her death, she held the Elves at bay in the valley below what had originally been a shrine, her sacrifice earned her the a temple as recognition of her determination to see the enemy not step one foot within the Mountains themselves. Isthmians are often seen here learning to dedicate themselves to their tasks, and providing a solid base of mental discipline.
Temple of Gregorios, the third Temple of the Shaydarians is dedicated to Gregorios, a healer during the Imperial war, he was often seen search battlefields for any wounded, Shaydarian or Elf, while at the time he earned questionable looks from his brothers and sisters, King Hephaestus praised him, showing that if they could have peace, having Elves speak of it would go a long way to calming tense nerves. His statue depicts him as a healer, and Isthmians are often seen learning the healing art from this Temple.
Order of the Wardens, this Order is the only one to hold members from all races within the Kingdom, all their warriors dedicated to a single task, protecting the Kingdom from all threats. This can range from the physical threats of the world, to the immaterial threats that seep in through the cracks of the planes. Several places throughout the Kingdom hold a permanent presence of the Wardens, Grimrock, Starfall, and Athel Soras, where the immaterial have often appeared in such numbers it took a massive force to return them to their own plane.
The Shadow-walk Order, these Rangers, mostly Elves, provide a powerful core of reconnaissance warriors, masters of the undergrowth, capable hunters and death dealers, they are the eyes and ears of any military force on the march. They recruit on a basis of what they call the Shadow-walk, where a Ranger of the regular Army may find themselves alone and surrounded, facing the beasts of the Wild, if they survive three nights, they earn the title of Shadow-Walker, and are truly warriors to be feared. It has a high death-rate, as to be expected of the wilderness of the Kingdom, but those that pass more than make up for any losses. They have no primary hold or region, recruiting from across the Kingdom and only gathering in large camps for issues of grand importance.
Guild of Engineers: The Dwarves are the masters of technological advancement within the Kingdom, bringing refined formed of gunpowder weapons to the armouries of the Kingdom, and training their warriors in their use. It not uncommon to see units bearing these weapons in combat, either in the powerful, long-rifle, or the shorter hand-held versions more often seen with Dwarf officers in combat. The Guild has halls within every major city, although the mountain stronghold of Kharak-a-Varr houses the largest Guildhall.
Religious Interpretations:
Total Military Size: 125,000
Listed Heroes: Lord Marshal Ares (Shaydarian), Marshal Nicodemus (Shaydarian), Knight Commander Zyvion (Centaur), Knight Captain Marcus Maximus (Human), Knight Captain Decimus Meridias (Human), Warden Prime Logar Grimbeard (Dwarf), Shadow-Mistress Stataleeti Loradithis (Elf), Admiral Quintus Licinius Cato (Human)
Military Doctrine: The military of the Shaydarian Kingdom revolves around the commands of the Six Marshals, with the greatest of their number being called the Lord Marshal. Each Marshal commands an equal share of the army, passing their commands to their Lord Commanders, who in turn pass it to their commanders, then the captains.
With the sudden and massive expansion of their kingdom, the Shaydarians merely expanded the numbers each Marshal commanded, while granting the freed races a selblence of freedom concerning their military practices. Each Marshal has also started to include members of the freed races into the command structure, while all the Marshals remain Shaydarian, there are Human, Elven and Dwarven Commanders, with a single Centaur Lord Commander.
Military Units:
Shaydarian Templars (Formerly Warriors)
Woodland Rangers
Stormgard Infantry
Stormgard Cavalry
Stonefoot Infantry
Shadow-walk Rangers
Warden Infantry
Warden Cavalry
Order Infantry
Dramatis Personae:
King Hephaestus
Lord Marshal Ares
Marshal Nicodemus
Knight Commander Zyvion
Knight Captain Marcus Maximus
Knight Captain Decimus Meridias
Warden Prime Logar Grimbeard
Shadow Mistress Stataleeti Loradithis
Admiral Quintus Licinius Cato
Councilman Aurelius Caesar
Councilman Tyr Bonehoof
Councilwoman Liuth Olaralei
Councilman Thorin Stoneheart
Listed Heroes: Lord Marshal Ares (Shaydarian), Marshal Nicodemus (Shaydarian), Knight Commander Zyvion (Centaur), Knight Captain Marcus Maximus (Human), Knight Captain Decimus Meridias (Human), Warden Prime Logar Grimbeard (Dwarf), Shadow-Mistress Stataleeti Loradithis (Elf), Admiral Quintus Licinius Cato (Human)
Military Doctrine: The military of the Shaydarian Kingdom revolves around the commands of the Six Marshals, with the greatest of their number being called the Lord Marshal. Each Marshal commands an equal share of the army, passing their commands to their Lord Commanders, who in turn pass it to their commanders, then the captains.
With the sudden and massive expansion of their kingdom, the Shaydarians merely expanded the numbers each Marshal commanded, while granting the freed races a selblence of freedom concerning their military practices. Each Marshal has also started to include members of the freed races into the command structure, while all the Marshals remain Shaydarian, there are Human, Elven and Dwarven Commanders, with a single Centaur Lord Commander.
Military Units:
Shaydarian Templars (Formerly Warriors)
Woodland Rangers
Stormgard Infantry
Stormgard Cavalry
Stonefoot Infantry
Shadow-walk Rangers
Warden Infantry
Warden Cavalry
Order Infantry
Dramatis Personae:
King Hephaestus
Lord Marshal Ares
Marshal Nicodemus
Knight Commander Zyvion
Knight Captain Marcus Maximus
Knight Captain Decimus Meridias
Warden Prime Logar Grimbeard
Shadow Mistress Stataleeti Loradithis
Admiral Quintus Licinius Cato
Councilman Aurelius Caesar
Councilman Tyr Bonehoof
Councilwoman Liuth Olaralei
Councilman Thorin Stoneheart
Full History:
For nearly six thousand years, the Shaydarians called the Shaydarian Mountains their home, carving homes in the peaks of the mountains, far from the sight of other races, although rumours spread of winged demons that called the mountains their own. In truth, the demons, were battling Shaydarians, caught up in their city-state wars, costing blood and life for little gain other than what became bragging rights, and their numbers were never large to begin with, wars that lasted the better part of five hundred years.
Seeing his people about to die in their own nature, Zeus, a simple warrior from the Eyrie of Stormpeak began to talk, rather than fight, he found like-minded warriors within Stormpeak, and even some within Starfall and Shadowdawn, he began to speak of a unified Shaydarian Kingdom, ruled not by one city for all time, but an elected King when the crown is to be passed on, giving all cities a chance to become the capital. It would take seventy years, but after finally bringing the traditionalist noble families to his thinking, Zeus gathered the best leaders of all areas of a city, trade, war, art, construction, and more, they all had a chance to elect a King. It was the first, and only time that a King was selected unanimously, and Zeus took to the throne, settling it upon Stormpeak, and ruling a Kingdom that had little in the way of interest in the lands beyond the Shaydarian Mountains.
As time wore on, the Shaydarians expanded, the famed warrior Odysseus founded a new Eyerie, naming it Sanctuary, for after a rather brutal storm, his band of warriors, out hunting the great beasts that prowled the skyways of the Mountains, were forced to take shelter, resting in the cave of a rather angry Cyclops. After a hard fight, and the loss of half his warriors, the Cyclops was slain, and the warriors refused to leave their dead forgotten in some cave miles from their homes. And so Odysseus planted his banner, he called on friends, family and more, he wanted to build a shrine to entomb the warriors in honor and glory, but instead an Eyrie was built, over years until it became almost as rich and prosperous as the already established Eyeries.
It was at this time that the Shaydarians began to look into more ways than that of the sword in order to live. Many went on to become monks and hermits, travelling the Kingdom and providing aid in whatever form they could. At first it went well, but the martial pride of the Shaydarians was not to be forgotten, in concert with their spiritualist progression, the martial arts were considered as an expression of their spirit, weapon masters joined the growing temple holds, and as the years spread, and the next King selected, bringing Starfall into ascendant, the number of warrior-priests was almost as high as the number of warriors, few pockets of the traditionalists remained, but they were swiftly falling into sway. It was around this time that the first of the Thalor Imperium Elves entered the Mountain passes.
Acestes, a rather young warrior-priest, flew to greet them, alone and unarmed, he still showed just how strong the Shaydarians were, standing taller than any of the Elves, he welcomed them, only to feel the sting of an arrow in his chest, the Elves were slavers, trying to bring what they thought to be a unique creature back to their home for a sea of wealth. He fought hard, slaying a dozen of the Elves before he was run through with a spear. King Gregor unleashed his warriors to deal with the slavers before they would return to Thalor, and to retrieve the body of Acestes. This was the first of what would become the “Skirmish War”, where parties of Thalorium Elves would try to pass through the Mountains. As the years passed, the Shaydarians grew beyond petty revenge that they were exacting on the Elves for the loss of Acestes and other warriors who had fallen since, the cry for justice was paramount, but now King Gregor had ruled for near a thousand years, and his time was coming to a close.
Queen Nike was selected to replace him, and her first order was to bring the passes the Elves used under Shaydarian sway more permanently. Construction began on what would become the Eagle Gate, sealing the primary pass from the Elves, it was a massive undertaking, and not without risk, but within fifty years, a truly formidable fortress sealed the Godsway, a near perfect straight line through the Shaydarian Mountains, said to have been created during a titanic duel of the gods.
With the Eagle Gate finished, construction of the Falcon Gate and the Hawk Gate began, these smaller passes were not as arterial as the Godsway, the northern Dusk Road was overwatched by Starfell, and was a winding path that would take days to use to reach the other side, while the Dawk Road, to the east, was alone, the closest Eyrie being Odysseus’ Sanctuary, almost half a day’s flight. The Falcon Gate protected the North, and the Hawk Gate protected the East, each had a rotating basis of warriors, as well as the Isthmian cult priests, and their sorcerous powers.
These Gates had never been breached, only expanded to seal off the northern entries into the Mountains by other races beyond the Shaydarian’s ken. Even as the Shaydarians readied to face the Imperium once more, they were dealing with civil strife in the form of the Corvant caste, these crow and raven-like people, a sub-sect of the Shaydarian whole, formed the majority of the Merchant caste, ever looking for ways to increase their wealth. It was through such needs that the Imperium managed to capture a cadre of warriors during one of the Imperial raids. Taking a large payment in gold, jewels and finery, a large number of Corvant gave the location to one of the Shaydarian roosts, a resting place for warriors and scouts out in the foothills of the mountains. It did not take long for Queen Nike, with her own network of Elven spies to learn of this betrayal, and she unleashed her greatest warrior, the Isthmian Apollo, to correct the Corvant in their mistake. He was not forgiving to the Corvant, he had been given the Queen’s own brooch, with her sigil and power imbued, he had full authority for whatever sentence he deemed fit.
The Corvant were displaced almost in their entirety from the Shaydarian Mountains, cast out, with many nursing wounds directed against their wings, Apollo’s power and desire was to have the Corvant never feel the joys of the sky again, and he cast a lingering spell upon the Corvant, drawing power from the Stormshard, he cast the Corvant to become like the Elves they betrayed the Shaydarians to, he grounded the Corvant that were not executed, and banished them from the Kingdom, wingless and a broken people. Queen Nike managed to convince some of the Corvant to remain, those who had proven innocent in the transgressions against their own people, though barely a fraction survived Apollo’s purging, many displaced into the East, with Shaydarians keeping watch to ensure they left the Mountains.
It would be a little over three thousand more years before the War of Skirmishes escalated with a massive Thalorian Imperial army marching on the Eagle Gate, which was fought to a bloody standstill with hundreds of Shaydarian lives lost, and thousands more wounded, against an army so large it blackened the foothills with their number. The new King, Hephaestus had only been crowned barely three months before, and he rose to the challenge with a skill few expected, for he was of the Falconers, a craftsman with skill that rivalled the gods themselves, he knew his strength lay in the creation of things, not their destruction, he gave command of the army immediately to an Eaglite who was a veteran of war and death, yet never one to yearn for it, Marshal Ares was then elevated to the rank of Lord Marshal, the first of their military commanders. With Hephaestus leading the craftsmen to create more to support their brother Eaglites, Ares lead a masterful campaign that broke the Imperial supply lines, the sheer number of Elves was beyond what he could muster, and to defeat it in a full battle would mean a loss of life he was not willing to give.
Bringing the swift Zephyrates to the fore, they scouted the foothills, bringing the information needed to target the caravans of supplies long before they reached the Imperial army. For six months the Elves struggled to feed their army, before retreating back beyond the foothills, a slave force numbering the thousands trailing behind as the Elves took their meagre supplies of food and left them to die. Ares lead his warriors to capture the slaves, believing them all soldiers in the service of the Imperium. Upon seeing his mistake, he brought them within the Eagle Gate, feeding and in most cases clothing them, and setting some of the greatest learned Isthmians to try to communicate with them. After some weeks of difficulty, they learned that the Imperium enslaved their neighbors, of all kinds and breeds, it didn’t matter so long as they would work under the lash.
Knowing they were slavers already, Ares was not surprised, but what he was surprised about was when they were told the other races already enslaved outnumbered the Elves greatly. A plan began to formulate in his mind, and he asked for volunteers from the slaves, to return to their Elf masters and bring word of rebellion to the hearts of minds of their comrades.
Many agreed, while just as many refused. Ares escorted the slaves back to the Imperial border, with enough supplies to make the journey and no more, to not allow the Elves to know the slaves had been taken care of beforehand. The slaves knew it would be years, well beyond their lifetime before the Shaydarians would unleash their warriors in full, but they agreed regardless because it would free their sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters. They had little idea of just how far they would spread the rebellion at that time. Over the next seven hundred years the Imperium tried to break the Eagle Gate, tried to bypass the formidable defences, and use smaller passes only to find them inaccessible for such numbers, and all the while the Shaydarians dived upon them and cast them from the mountain range.
It was as Ares watched over the training of the latest generation of Eaglite warriors, a messenger came to him, speaking of a mass rebellion across the Imperium, slaves rising up against their masters, but many were being pushed back down, however bloodily, leaving only a few bands that succeeded. With an almost feral laugh, Ares ordered the mobilisation of forces he had kept in reserve for so long he doubted they would ever be used. Within two days, advance forces of Shaydarians were rushing to support the few rebel bands that still survived, and not too soon, as the Eaglite Hera, leading a force of two hundred, descended upon the Imperial forces surrounding a band numbering the thousands of rebels. She was but the first, and revered as a goddess to the eyes of the slaves, as they cast the Elves down without a second thought, or moment's hesitation.
Across the Imperium, rebel forces were saved, and brought together at the first Imperial city within reach of the Shaydarian Mountains, Ilnataysi, which fell after just seven days, the Shaydarians, while suffering losses to the Elven archers, bypassing the walls and striking for the command elements. With a home-base under their control, the rebels gained new heart, and marched following the Shaydarian army. A detachment of Shaydarians remained in every Imperial city that fell, ensuring the Elves were not slaughtered wholeheartedly by the former slaves, much to the disappointment of the people.
Ares lead a masterful campaign that drew the Imperials out, and cut them off, leaving weakened armies for the rebels to overwhelm, and with every victory the rebels grew a hundredfold, until the land before the capital of Ke Thalor was aught but a sea of free slaves. A year to the day of the rebellion's beginning, Ares claimed the capital of Ke Thalor, his warriors hailed as gods and heroes to the supporting slave army, lead by heroes of their own, the gladiator Leonidas, the savage centaur Calipso, the charming and beautiful Artariel, and a thousand more.
But this was not all that came to the Shaydarians, for their views of justice had drawn a new gaze, and before Ares' own eyes, the fallen warrior-goddess Hera stood before him in the palace of the Elf Emperor, an impossibility for he had witnessed her death himself, a spear-thrust from behind, up under the protective rib cage, into vital organs, she had died before any of her warriors could react. And here she stood, wreathed in golden light, a halo of purity radiating from her as she spoke with a voice of one and yet many at once. Justina had come to the Shaydarians, bringing them into her Light while gifting them an almost unanimous call of agreement from the slaves, for she gave them the right to rule the former Imperium.
Many things changed, the slaves picked their leaders, and became citizens overnight, Elves were displaced, but just as many wished to remain within the Kingdom, and the Shaydarians tried to teach their views of Justice and enlightenment upon a people so diverse they had troubles even understanding them all.
List of Historical Grievances:
Relations:
Cultured Notes:
For nearly six thousand years, the Shaydarians called the Shaydarian Mountains their home, carving homes in the peaks of the mountains, far from the sight of other races, although rumours spread of winged demons that called the mountains their own. In truth, the demons, were battling Shaydarians, caught up in their city-state wars, costing blood and life for little gain other than what became bragging rights, and their numbers were never large to begin with, wars that lasted the better part of five hundred years.
Seeing his people about to die in their own nature, Zeus, a simple warrior from the Eyrie of Stormpeak began to talk, rather than fight, he found like-minded warriors within Stormpeak, and even some within Starfall and Shadowdawn, he began to speak of a unified Shaydarian Kingdom, ruled not by one city for all time, but an elected King when the crown is to be passed on, giving all cities a chance to become the capital. It would take seventy years, but after finally bringing the traditionalist noble families to his thinking, Zeus gathered the best leaders of all areas of a city, trade, war, art, construction, and more, they all had a chance to elect a King. It was the first, and only time that a King was selected unanimously, and Zeus took to the throne, settling it upon Stormpeak, and ruling a Kingdom that had little in the way of interest in the lands beyond the Shaydarian Mountains.
As time wore on, the Shaydarians expanded, the famed warrior Odysseus founded a new Eyerie, naming it Sanctuary, for after a rather brutal storm, his band of warriors, out hunting the great beasts that prowled the skyways of the Mountains, were forced to take shelter, resting in the cave of a rather angry Cyclops. After a hard fight, and the loss of half his warriors, the Cyclops was slain, and the warriors refused to leave their dead forgotten in some cave miles from their homes. And so Odysseus planted his banner, he called on friends, family and more, he wanted to build a shrine to entomb the warriors in honor and glory, but instead an Eyrie was built, over years until it became almost as rich and prosperous as the already established Eyeries.
It was at this time that the Shaydarians began to look into more ways than that of the sword in order to live. Many went on to become monks and hermits, travelling the Kingdom and providing aid in whatever form they could. At first it went well, but the martial pride of the Shaydarians was not to be forgotten, in concert with their spiritualist progression, the martial arts were considered as an expression of their spirit, weapon masters joined the growing temple holds, and as the years spread, and the next King selected, bringing Starfall into ascendant, the number of warrior-priests was almost as high as the number of warriors, few pockets of the traditionalists remained, but they were swiftly falling into sway. It was around this time that the first of the Thalor Imperium Elves entered the Mountain passes.
Acestes, a rather young warrior-priest, flew to greet them, alone and unarmed, he still showed just how strong the Shaydarians were, standing taller than any of the Elves, he welcomed them, only to feel the sting of an arrow in his chest, the Elves were slavers, trying to bring what they thought to be a unique creature back to their home for a sea of wealth. He fought hard, slaying a dozen of the Elves before he was run through with a spear. King Gregor unleashed his warriors to deal with the slavers before they would return to Thalor, and to retrieve the body of Acestes. This was the first of what would become the “Skirmish War”, where parties of Thalorium Elves would try to pass through the Mountains. As the years passed, the Shaydarians grew beyond petty revenge that they were exacting on the Elves for the loss of Acestes and other warriors who had fallen since, the cry for justice was paramount, but now King Gregor had ruled for near a thousand years, and his time was coming to a close.
Queen Nike was selected to replace him, and her first order was to bring the passes the Elves used under Shaydarian sway more permanently. Construction began on what would become the Eagle Gate, sealing the primary pass from the Elves, it was a massive undertaking, and not without risk, but within fifty years, a truly formidable fortress sealed the Godsway, a near perfect straight line through the Shaydarian Mountains, said to have been created during a titanic duel of the gods.
With the Eagle Gate finished, construction of the Falcon Gate and the Hawk Gate began, these smaller passes were not as arterial as the Godsway, the northern Dusk Road was overwatched by Starfell, and was a winding path that would take days to use to reach the other side, while the Dawk Road, to the east, was alone, the closest Eyrie being Odysseus’ Sanctuary, almost half a day’s flight. The Falcon Gate protected the North, and the Hawk Gate protected the East, each had a rotating basis of warriors, as well as the Isthmian cult priests, and their sorcerous powers.
These Gates had never been breached, only expanded to seal off the northern entries into the Mountains by other races beyond the Shaydarian’s ken. Even as the Shaydarians readied to face the Imperium once more, they were dealing with civil strife in the form of the Corvant caste, these crow and raven-like people, a sub-sect of the Shaydarian whole, formed the majority of the Merchant caste, ever looking for ways to increase their wealth. It was through such needs that the Imperium managed to capture a cadre of warriors during one of the Imperial raids. Taking a large payment in gold, jewels and finery, a large number of Corvant gave the location to one of the Shaydarian roosts, a resting place for warriors and scouts out in the foothills of the mountains. It did not take long for Queen Nike, with her own network of Elven spies to learn of this betrayal, and she unleashed her greatest warrior, the Isthmian Apollo, to correct the Corvant in their mistake. He was not forgiving to the Corvant, he had been given the Queen’s own brooch, with her sigil and power imbued, he had full authority for whatever sentence he deemed fit.
The Corvant were displaced almost in their entirety from the Shaydarian Mountains, cast out, with many nursing wounds directed against their wings, Apollo’s power and desire was to have the Corvant never feel the joys of the sky again, and he cast a lingering spell upon the Corvant, drawing power from the Stormshard, he cast the Corvant to become like the Elves they betrayed the Shaydarians to, he grounded the Corvant that were not executed, and banished them from the Kingdom, wingless and a broken people. Queen Nike managed to convince some of the Corvant to remain, those who had proven innocent in the transgressions against their own people, though barely a fraction survived Apollo’s purging, many displaced into the East, with Shaydarians keeping watch to ensure they left the Mountains.
It would be a little over three thousand more years before the War of Skirmishes escalated with a massive Thalorian Imperial army marching on the Eagle Gate, which was fought to a bloody standstill with hundreds of Shaydarian lives lost, and thousands more wounded, against an army so large it blackened the foothills with their number. The new King, Hephaestus had only been crowned barely three months before, and he rose to the challenge with a skill few expected, for he was of the Falconers, a craftsman with skill that rivalled the gods themselves, he knew his strength lay in the creation of things, not their destruction, he gave command of the army immediately to an Eaglite who was a veteran of war and death, yet never one to yearn for it, Marshal Ares was then elevated to the rank of Lord Marshal, the first of their military commanders. With Hephaestus leading the craftsmen to create more to support their brother Eaglites, Ares lead a masterful campaign that broke the Imperial supply lines, the sheer number of Elves was beyond what he could muster, and to defeat it in a full battle would mean a loss of life he was not willing to give.
Bringing the swift Zephyrates to the fore, they scouted the foothills, bringing the information needed to target the caravans of supplies long before they reached the Imperial army. For six months the Elves struggled to feed their army, before retreating back beyond the foothills, a slave force numbering the thousands trailing behind as the Elves took their meagre supplies of food and left them to die. Ares lead his warriors to capture the slaves, believing them all soldiers in the service of the Imperium. Upon seeing his mistake, he brought them within the Eagle Gate, feeding and in most cases clothing them, and setting some of the greatest learned Isthmians to try to communicate with them. After some weeks of difficulty, they learned that the Imperium enslaved their neighbors, of all kinds and breeds, it didn’t matter so long as they would work under the lash.
Knowing they were slavers already, Ares was not surprised, but what he was surprised about was when they were told the other races already enslaved outnumbered the Elves greatly. A plan began to formulate in his mind, and he asked for volunteers from the slaves, to return to their Elf masters and bring word of rebellion to the hearts of minds of their comrades.
Many agreed, while just as many refused. Ares escorted the slaves back to the Imperial border, with enough supplies to make the journey and no more, to not allow the Elves to know the slaves had been taken care of beforehand. The slaves knew it would be years, well beyond their lifetime before the Shaydarians would unleash their warriors in full, but they agreed regardless because it would free their sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters. They had little idea of just how far they would spread the rebellion at that time. Over the next seven hundred years the Imperium tried to break the Eagle Gate, tried to bypass the formidable defences, and use smaller passes only to find them inaccessible for such numbers, and all the while the Shaydarians dived upon them and cast them from the mountain range.
It was as Ares watched over the training of the latest generation of Eaglite warriors, a messenger came to him, speaking of a mass rebellion across the Imperium, slaves rising up against their masters, but many were being pushed back down, however bloodily, leaving only a few bands that succeeded. With an almost feral laugh, Ares ordered the mobilisation of forces he had kept in reserve for so long he doubted they would ever be used. Within two days, advance forces of Shaydarians were rushing to support the few rebel bands that still survived, and not too soon, as the Eaglite Hera, leading a force of two hundred, descended upon the Imperial forces surrounding a band numbering the thousands of rebels. She was but the first, and revered as a goddess to the eyes of the slaves, as they cast the Elves down without a second thought, or moment's hesitation.
Across the Imperium, rebel forces were saved, and brought together at the first Imperial city within reach of the Shaydarian Mountains, Ilnataysi, which fell after just seven days, the Shaydarians, while suffering losses to the Elven archers, bypassing the walls and striking for the command elements. With a home-base under their control, the rebels gained new heart, and marched following the Shaydarian army. A detachment of Shaydarians remained in every Imperial city that fell, ensuring the Elves were not slaughtered wholeheartedly by the former slaves, much to the disappointment of the people.
Ares lead a masterful campaign that drew the Imperials out, and cut them off, leaving weakened armies for the rebels to overwhelm, and with every victory the rebels grew a hundredfold, until the land before the capital of Ke Thalor was aught but a sea of free slaves. A year to the day of the rebellion's beginning, Ares claimed the capital of Ke Thalor, his warriors hailed as gods and heroes to the supporting slave army, lead by heroes of their own, the gladiator Leonidas, the savage centaur Calipso, the charming and beautiful Artariel, and a thousand more.
But this was not all that came to the Shaydarians, for their views of justice had drawn a new gaze, and before Ares' own eyes, the fallen warrior-goddess Hera stood before him in the palace of the Elf Emperor, an impossibility for he had witnessed her death himself, a spear-thrust from behind, up under the protective rib cage, into vital organs, she had died before any of her warriors could react. And here she stood, wreathed in golden light, a halo of purity radiating from her as she spoke with a voice of one and yet many at once. Justina had come to the Shaydarians, bringing them into her Light while gifting them an almost unanimous call of agreement from the slaves, for she gave them the right to rule the former Imperium.
Many things changed, the slaves picked their leaders, and became citizens overnight, Elves were displaced, but just as many wished to remain within the Kingdom, and the Shaydarians tried to teach their views of Justice and enlightenment upon a people so diverse they had troubles even understanding them all.
List of Historical Grievances:
Relations:
Cultured Notes: