Yeah, I'm unfortunately going to have to drop this. I had hoped I could just jump back into RPing, but I'm busier than I was a year ago and I realize I just don't have the time to put in the effort I'd like to and that I need to. I hope you all have fun.
Yeah, so very basic WIP sheet that I still need to work on. But I figured I'd pump out what I had.
Zrel Okrir
Government Type: Zrel Okrir society is dominated by the Five Clans, those orcs who trace their ancestry back to the daughters of Zrel Okrir's ancestral hero Xurag Lordsbane. It is governed as a democracy of sorts, but only those who are members of the Five Clans are permitted to make their voices heard. The nation itself is officially lead by the King of Zrel Okrir, advised by a council of Clan Speakers for each of the Five Clans. However, in practice the Clan Speakers are the power that rules Zrel Okrir with the King being unable to take action without their consent.
Faction Specie(s): WIP (Mostly Orcs, with slaves of almost all races)
Territory Details: Zrel Okrir is located in the hills and valleys in between the Murkwater and the Sour Fen, stretching dangerously close to Justinian Imperium's Marcher Lord in the west. Much of the settled land is along the coastal plains adjacent to the Murkwater; the land there is relatively fertile and because of this is heavily cultivated by those of Zrel Okrir. Where the land is not cultivated, it is typically lightly forested on the southern plain but inhabited only by shrugs and grasses on the northern. The reason behind this is simple; the land was also once forested, but during the Dark Lord's reign he clear-cut much of the northern plain for lumber to be taken back to the now-ruined fortress of Orthras Zul. But further inland the ancient forests of Zrel Okrir still stand to this day. Millennia old, the land is considered dark and foreboding by many and is home to many foul beasts and creatures. The furthest recesses of the forest are regions even the bravest will often refuse to go, for they are believed home to unimaginable monstrosities. The last distinct region of Zrel Okrir is the coast proper; the land there is typically inundated with the murky, filth-ridden waters of the Murkwater, forming swamps all along Zrel Okrir's coastline. Actually doing anything with these swamps is often considered simply not worth the effort, and so they are left to grow wild and untamed. Though it is simply most of the coastline that is a swampy morass, and there are still places one may look out over the foul Murkwater without risking death.
Faction Religion/Ideology: Faction Description: Zrel Okrir is an Orcish 'kingdom' along the southeastern coast of the Murkwater who believe that the Dark Lord Daigon was slain not by Justinian, but by an Orc allied with Justinian and who was betrayed and murdered by Justinian. As a result a hatred of the Imperium permeates throughout the Kingdom, so much so that they would side with those who glorify Daigon against the Justinians. And it is the descendants of said orc's daughters forming the Five Clans which truly rule Zrel Okrir, with the King existing to nod his head in agreement at their rulings. Their society is also based heavily upon slavery, with most of the farming, mining, and other 'unworthy' roles being done by slaves. And because of this, Zrel Okrir has an almost constant hunger for more and more slaves; much of them are captured on raids on other lands, especially targeting the Imperium's coastlines along the Murkwater, but they are more than willing to do business with foreign slave traders to get what they need. Faction History: WIP
Very British name I thought it lended somewhat well but he does sound more like some sort of frozen food manufacturer.
It's not a bad thing. I mean, I don't imagine that Germans looked at the name 'Adolf Hitler' and thought 'now that's a name that makes me think of a fascist dictator' before he actually got into power and, you know, became a fascist dictator.
Government Type: The kingdom of Barad-an is a predominantly a feudal monarchy, ruled over by the four Great Clans who rule as Kings from their seats in the four Great Cities of Barad-an. However there is one of the four which stands head and shoulders above the others, ruling Barad-an as High King from the capital of Bogrul Zhul. It is Clan Bogrul'mar, who can trace their ancestry back to their mighty hero Bogrul the Mighty, whereas the other Great Clans can trace their ancestry back to Bogrul's three companions. The High King's word is law in Barad-an, and the three Kings all swear undying allegiance to him. But there are other lands in Barad-an not under the control of the Kings, and are instead divided into several regions governed by Masters. These Masters are all appointed by the High King, typically for life but they rule at the whim of the High King, and are almost always from one of the Great Clans.
But there is also a region not technically considered a part of Barad-an, which would be the Despotate of Sacreligium. The Despotate only includes the city of Sacreligium itself and a small portion of the surrounding countryside, and while not technically a part of Barad-an it is a client state of the High King and is thus subject to his will. However the Despot is given a large reign of autonomy to govern his city as he pleases so long as he pays his tribute and remains loyal to the High King. The city was founded by Justinian exiles and the government of the city was purposefully designed into a mockery of the Imperium's government, with many of the same titles being utilized by the bureaucracy of the Despotate.
Faction Species:
The orcs make up most of Barad-an's population, especially the population of freemen. They are a heavily diverse lot, with vast number of different varieties making their home within the kingdom. All of them would be considered rather ugly, at least by human standards, with their sharp teeth, flat noses, broad faces, and pointed ears. Furthermore there are many whose faces and bodies are grossly misshapen. Their skin tones vary widely; some are bleach white while others are pitch black, they can go from grey to having tints of grey or red or yellow or even blue. And there are numerous sizes as well, from the goblins who are often shorter than a man to the ogres who tower above them. But despite these differences, they are all considered orcs and while individuals may disparage certain sub-races, the orcs of Barad-an as a whole do not.
Within Barad-an there are two different groups of humans. The first, and more numerous, are those who live their lives as slaves. They are either captured on raids and brought back to Barad-an or born to slaves already toiling away. In Barad-an proper the latter do have a chance to gain their freedom, though chances or horribly slim, while those captured have no such chance. It is different in the city of Sacreligium, where there is never a chance for a slave to rise up from their bondage and they are often more horribly mistreated as well. But aside from the slaves, there are the free humans which are a much rarer sight. There are a handful of former slaves but most free humans are the Sacreligians, the descendants of Justinian exiles who make up the freemen of Sacreligium since orcs typically stick to Barad-an proper.
Territory Details: The kingdom of Barad-an is generally divided into three distinct regions: the Black Shield, the Bitter Shore, and the Rift. The Black Shield is the name for the mountains and hills in the north of Barad-an, and it is where the four Great Cities are all located. The Black Shield is a heavily forested region full of mountains and vales, where the tallest peaks are so high as to be capped in snow all year. The mountains are also home to a wealth of minerals such as iron and copper, while 'precious' metals are all but absent. There are very few surface structures built within the Black Shield as the Orcs dwell within the earth, but the most famous are the Black Gates. They are Orcish built fortifications located along key mountain passes, and have done an exceptional job of halting the advance of any Marcher Lords who sought to sack Barad-an. But Barad-an is most well-known for the Great Cities, the pride of Barad-an. These four cities are all carved deep into the stone of the Black Shield and are home to numerous human slaves and even more orcs.
South of the Black Shield is the land known as the Bitter Shore, known as such for the salty swampland that dominates much of the coastline. In fact, the Bitter Shore is comprised mostly of wetlands though the interior is freshwater. However, the land is also something of the breadbasket of Barad-an as large swathes have been reclaimed from the marsh and turned into farmland to feed the immense populations of the Great Cities to the north. The Bitter Shore has a much higher percentage of humans than the Black Shield as well, as the great farms are all worked by predominantly human slaves and it is also home to the human city of Sacreligium. Founded by exiles from the Justinian Imperium, the city almost looks like it was transported from the Imperium itself. However as the exiles denied the divinity of Justinian there is nothing built to praise him.
And the final, and by far the smallest, region of Barad-an is the Rift. Located on the very western border of Barad-an, there are no settlements larger than a village located there for a number of region. The terrain in that small region is incredibly treacherous; though it is dwarfed by the real mountains to the north much of the Rift is composed of treacherous cliffs and winding pathways. The path is by no means easy to traverse, making it easily defensible and an obvious border. But there is more protection than simply the geography, as Barad-an is more than happy to make use of the White Gates. They are ancient fortifications constructed long ago by the Justinians, taken by Barad-an near the beginning of its existence and resulting in the kingdom having been a major thorn in the Imperium's side for centuries.
Faction Religion/Ideology: WIP
Faction Description: WIP
Faction History: The earliest history of Barad-an is shrouded in myth, with the kingdom's founding legend taking place at the time of the Dark Lord's fall. According to their beliefs, there was a great Orc warlord named Bugrol the Mighty who saw how the Dark Lord was a tyrant who abused his people and ruled through fear. And so Bugrol turned against the Dark Lord, with an army of Orcs brave enough to face the Dark Lord in battle commanded by himself and his three brothers by oath. But Bugrol and his companions knew that his army was no match for the Dark Lord's, and so Bugrol struck a deal with the Dark Lord's greatest enemy: the God Emperor Justinian. In return for the help of Bugrol and his allies, Justinian would give the orcs land to settle and found their own kingdom. A home where the orcs could forge their own destiny, rather than serving as pawns for the Dark Lord. And so they went to war, fighting battle after battle against the Dark Lord and though the cost was high they eventually pushed him back to his wretched citadel of Azoth Zul. And it was here that Bugrol and Justinian met the Dark Lord Daigon in personal combat. The fight lasted for hours upon hours until it seemed that the Dark Lord would prevail, but as he focused on Justinian to land the killing blow Bugrol managed to plunge his sword into the Dark Lord's heart. It was then, as Bugrol turned to help Justinian to his feet, that he found his supposedly ally's blade lodged in his belly. And as if that betrayal was not enough, Justinian's armies turned on their orc allies and began to slaughter them. It was then that Bugrol's sworn brothers were forced to make a choice; they burned with righteous fury and anger but they knew that to fight would be to die and all Bugrol's dreams would be for naught. And so they fled, taking the remains of their army southwards in a great exodus to the Shield Mountains. It was there that they settled and built their first city, named Bugrol Zhul after their fallen ruler, and where Bugrol's son Grishat was crowned King with his father posthumously crowned first King of their new Kingdom of Barad-an. Of course this legend is unique to the orcs of Barad-an, and most other deny that Bugrol the Mighty ever fought against the Dark Lord or he even existed at all.
Faction Government: The government of the Evening Star Confederacy is democratically elected, and is a unique combination of authoritarianism and egalitarianism. There is universal suffrage among all citizens and citizenship is extended to almost all peoples living within the Confederacy, which even includes sentient Artificial Intelligences. All elected officials are voted in through the popular vote via preferential voting, so that the will of the people is what allows individuals to serve in such lofty positions. The head of state is the Supreme Protector, who serves four-year terms and is limited to two terms, while the major legislative body is the National Assembly whose members serve six years and whose term limits on imposed by the city they represent. However, despite such an egalitarian system in place the government has an immense measure of control over the people, though much of the power is handed off to the individual city governments. The government is allowed to do what it must for the good of the state, even things such as the imposing of limits on births and the forced sterilization of those who fail to comply and the appropriation of private property. The only real limits on the power of the government is that which is lied down in the Constitution, but those limits exist predominantly to prevent the system from evolving into a dictatorship. Of course there institutions which exist to prevent government officials from abusing their power, and the punishment for corruption on even the lowest level is death, but there is no system which is free of corruption.
Territory/Claims: The Evening Star Confederacy exists solely on and around the planet Venus, with the majority of its 'territory' being composed of the several hundred aerostat cities. Each one is an amazing thing: a tremendous city of several hundreds of thousands floating through the thick atmosphere of Venus. But no less impressive are the settlements on the surface, though 'settlements' is hardly an apt description for them. They are more like penal colonies where prisoners are forced to repay their doubt through hard labour, typically mining as there is little else to do on the harsh Venusian surface. But other than these there are a few Confederate stations, habitats, and military bases in orbit around Venus.
Marches are just a term for the border between Imperium/Nagath. There's some flexibility there if you want to put a faction along those mountains or along the southern unnamed inland sea.
Cool, since I'm planning on putting my kingdom along the northern border of the southern inland sea. And this is the claim at the moment:
Just gotta think of a nice orcish name.
EDIT: Oh, @Flagg should I post a WIP sheet here on in the Character tab?
Hmmm, I've run into a bit of a problem. I'm actually no sure how many people would feasibly be able to live in a single aerostat colony floating in Venus' atmosphere, or how large it could be. Does anyone have any idea? Since some of you seem to have a far better grasp of this kind of stuff than most people.
