Name: Ater
Appearance:
Aters look very much like humans in nearly every aspect. The most notable aspect is that they are bigger and stronger than humans. What among humans is considered to be a large man is among Aters considered normal. They are generally wide and have thick necks. Their noses are large and flat and they usually have underbite. Their skin is thick, and their skin comes in a variety of colors, but the most common is grey. Their exterior can be said to be unwelcoming, at the least. Their large size and aggressive demenour make them a fearsome lot. Cleanliness is not really considered a value, either. There is not a lot of difference between male and female, except from the beards. It's usual for the males to grow a beard from the age of ten, and a beardless Ater can expect to be subject to mocking by his peers.
General Description:
The Aters are a predatory humanoid race. They believe themselves to be superior to all other races, especially over humans. Everyone who is not an Ater is either an enemy to be killed or a resource to be used. Their society is primarily built on slavery.
They grow much faster than humans. An Ater is considered adult when it reaches 13 of age, and can be taken both to sea and to battle from that age. They reach their full size around fifteen years of age, but this can vary greatly. Some Aters continue to grow until they're thirty.
Their bodies require a lot of energy, due to their size, and so they eat and drink a lot. Their great size is their best advantage over other races, but it's also the reason for their short lives. An Ater usually doesn't pass the age of forty.
Social Norm:
An Ater is preferably big, and the different individual's sizes are the most basic way of determining where in society an Ater is. The bigger and stronger an Ater is, the more respect he is deserving of, much like with humans and age.
Marriage is not unheard of, but uncommon. Long-lasting relationships isn't really their thing, and there isn't much jealousy between them. An Ater lies with whoever is available at the time of his need.
Level of Intelligence: Medium intelligence. They possess a powerful intuitive sense, but are poor planners.
Strengths: Physically strong, which makes them well fit for battle.
Weaknesses: They are few in number.
Nation Name: Atera
Population: ca. 200,000
Year it was founded: 64 of the Astric calendar.
Flag: The Aters do not carry flags. To show their allegiance to fellow Aters, they simply have to bellow loud enough, shouting what herd they belong to.
Where is it on the map?: The beige part in the middle of the map. However, it is widely unpopulated, and there are no certain state lines.
Capitol: Helvrakk
Capitol location in country: On the east coast, on the half-island sticking out.
Society:
The Ater society is actually that of a tribal community consisting of many individually operating tribes called herds. A herd's population can range between fifty to several thousands. One's herd is considered as one's family, however large. They are comrades battle, first and foremost, but otherwise as well. The leader of the herd is usually the strongest and meanest among them, but the position is always up for grabs, if anyone dares challenge the leader in combat. That position is called Herdsman.
The strongest herd is the head herd, which leads the nation. Fighting between herds is common, and necessary. If the same herd has the power for too long, their people can become stagnated. Who rules is just a matter of who are strong enough to take and to keep power through physical contest. The Herdsman of the head herd is the ultimate ruler of the nation, whose word is law. By the code the great Ater Möln lay down, all herds must answer to the head Herdsman's call. If any doesn't, they are outlawed and are subject to his wrath. However, the head Herdsman is also responsible for the protection of all of his kin. The main responsibility though, is tasking the individual herds during the raiding season. And all seasons are raiding seasons for the Aters.
In wartime, the head Herdsman can call to gather all the herds, as is his prerogative. This is known as "Calling the Horde", and once assembled, the herds are from that point onward until the war ends, one single herd. At least, in theory.
Raiding other peoples and slavery are what sustains the individual herds as well, as their nation as a whole. They travel abroad with ships, invading whichever lands they think will yield the most rewards. When their holds are full, they return home to AteraSlaves are a big part of their society. Aters are fundamentally quite lazy creatures, and prefer lesser beings to do their work for them. The torturing of slaves is used as crude entertainment.
All herds own ships. Ships are the most necessary tools for raiding. Herds usually have a base at land, often by the coast, but they're not home all that much. Their ships vary in sizes and make, as they tend to keep whichever ships they steal.
Military: The Aters do not possess a military per-say, but all of their populace who are above the age of thirteen are eligable for war. Being largely a sea-faring people, the bulk of their strengt comes from their naval forces. In wartime, the highest number of Aters ever gathered was nearly 100,000 strong, all with ships to carry them. It was a sight to behold. As it is, though, their forces are scattered.
Government: Kratocracy
- People of Importance:
Brakar Stonecrusher (the Head Herdsman)
Economic: The bulk of the Aters' economy comes from raiding and slavery. They usually keep their slaves, but there are some who trade them away instead. How well the economy fares varies greatly from herd to herd, as everyone are responsible for themselves. Having been succesful on their raids, some herds are very wealthy, while others can be as poor as dirt.
Religions: The only character the Aters are known to worship is that of Möln. Möln was the Ater to bind all the different herds together, and taught them how to do many things. He's viewed as the father of the nation, and some treat him almost like a deity. He was the greatest and most cunning man their race had ever produced, the word is, and many live by his ideals.
Technology: The Aters largely use out-of-date technology, since they're not really in need of it. Whatever technology they do possess, they have stolen or copied from other races. Unlike the humans, Aters can rely on their physical prowess in combat, no matter how advanced their enemies are. However, each herd is known to utilize different tactics and technology, so it's difficult to say what an opponent would be dealing with. One herd may have acquired advanced technology in one of their raids, and have adopted it into their fighting strategy, while another simply uses clubs to bash their foes' faces in. Either way, the job is usually done.
What is known though, is that they employ a wide variety of siege weapons. They have a keen eye for what can cause destruction, and use such inventions for all they're worth. Trebutchets, catapults, ballistas and even cannons have been used by the Aters in large-scale assaults.
Domestic Issues: The Aters have always been at each others' throats. The greatest threat to their livelihood is themselves. Even their form of government requires battle. It's a society plagued by endless internal conflict.
Issues Abroad: They are always stepping on other nation's toes, but the Aters don't concern themselves with foreign politics.
World Influence: 4 - they are a force to be reckoned with, even when few in number. Politically speaking, they don't possess any power whatsoever, but a small army of Aters can be a strong enough political device for any given situation.
-Relations with Neighbors: An Ater's neighbor is an Ater's enemy. Everyone have been antagonized by herds of Aters, and so they stand alone. In recent years, though, they have been raiding the west coast of the Empire of Valhall extensively.
Major Cities:
Vollgarv (the main slave city, located at the northern tip of Atera)
Stokland (the home city of the Stok herd, which is one of the largest tribes along the west coast of Atera. Located in the middle of the west coast of Atera)
Floom (A large city located on the northern island off the coast of the mainland. It's a haven for any and all herds on the seas)
Landscape: Atera's landscape is what you would find in a temperate area, but they suffer harsh weather from the harsh seas. In the south, there is plenty of vegetation, but the further north one goes, the more barren it becomes. There are no great mountains, but there are many hills. The most remarkable landscape feature, though, are their many rivers. Because of these, trade and transport between the Asters requires little effort.
History: WIP. The history of the Aters is a bloody one. In the beginning, they were only fighting amongst themselves, but Möln, a great Ater, managed to gather the herd together by force. He enlightened them of a world beyond their own feuds, and that it would be much more profitable to take the axe to them instead. With common enemies, the herds begun working together more and more. Since Möln's death, tough, the leadership of their nation has changed hands an unknown amount of times. The herds work less and less together, and the feuds between themselves look to be returning in full.
Strengths:
- Physically strong
- Independent
- Naval forces
Weaknesses:
- Scattered forces
- Feud between themselves
Summary: The Aters are a tribal people who are physically much stronger than humans. An Ater tribe is called a herd, who mainly focuses on raiding other peoples.