Theme: (optional) House Name:Whiteshorn Head of House: [b]Elle Whiteshorn Age 26[/b] She looks down on most who are weaker than her, or those that look down upon her. She is a natural fighter and is a crack shot with the crossbow. She also knows how to swing a sword. House Specialty: The use of Elephants both in war and in work use, such as moving heavy objects. House Ancestral Weapon:A bow, made of star metal, that fires magic that explodes in impact, instead of physical arrows.. Important members: Flint Whiteshorn. Age 53 DECEASED 1 son- [b]Gading Whiteshorn Age 14[/b] DECEASED 4 daughters- [b]Eden Whiteshorn Age 16[/b] A girl beyond her time, she sketches amazing inventions and machines that seem from the future. A "Da Vinci" of the realm. She is very sarcastic and speaks her mind, even if it may not be appropriate to do so. [b]Laurel Conrad Age:22 Married to Luke Conrad.[/b] A smart but shy girl, she often stands on the roof of the castle and stares back to the mainland where she grew up. Day dreams a lot. [b]Ayana Suttbray Age 24 Married to Will Suttbray[/b] Many members of the family died years ago to a deadly sickness. Some believe it is a curse set upon the family. [hider=People Of Interest] [b]Harley Phantell[/b] Red headed tomboy, she enjoys adventure and excitement. She is a risk taker, willing to thrust into a situation without properly thinking through the implications. As she hales from Odesh, she is a natural with the crossbow, and one of the most accurate in her home town of Goldcoast. She hopes to have her name in the history books. She is part of the pirate group The Pale Skull, providing her expert crossbow marksmanship and a Ballista artillery piece her father had crafted before he passed away." [b]Sam Hill[/b] A retired weapons maker, building war machines and crossbows through out his 40 year career. He can still craft if an order is placed, but they do not come cheap. He is known to be the best craftsmen in Amplefort, possibly in all of Odesh. If a weapon has his name engraved on the side, it is guaranteed the weapon will work perfectly. [b]Pep Zarri [/b] Leader of the Odeshian Scouts and champion of the 20,50 and 80 yard target shots. There are many stories about his crossbow marksmanship, some say he killed two rampaging elephants with a single bolt, others swear they know a friend that saw him shoot a bird out of the sky with his eyes closed. He is tough on his men, and even tougher on new recruits. With the Average Odeshian crossbows the scouts are trained to shoot 4 bolts a minute. The scouts also have large crossbows reaching 4 feet in size, these take longer to reload and require a stand to fire but can reach ranges of 500 yards. [/hider] Nation/Realms Name: Odesh Sigil: [hider=Sigil] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/zJDsFDc.png[/IMG] [/hider] House Motto: "Never Forgets, Never Forgives" Region/color on map: Red Race name: Odeshians Racial appearance: Average size stands at a 5'7", most are of a strong build due to working or training. Their skin is tanned and the most common hair colours are black and brown. Rarely a child may be born with Red hair, they are deemed "Lucky" and sometimes given special treatment over others and used as somewhat as a status symbol, they are sought after as the most beautiful men and women in all of the kingdom. Racial traits: Known as skilled engineers, crafting tools and weapons alike. The crossbow was invented within the lands of Odesh as the lords needed ways of killing elephants that had become irate. The weapon was soon banned from use in warfare as it was deemed "Too powerful" and an overkill. It also was so easy to use that someone untrained could kill an armoured noble with one, disrupting the class system. These laws where left in place for decades until they where lifted by a Head of House that realised how much potential they could have in combat. The bow was soon replaced with the far more powerful weapon. Capital: Amplefort Capital Population: 200,000 Other Major Settlements: Greenwynne: Waterpath: Goldcoast: Flowerhurst: Coldley: Southton: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/QzeefXU.jpg[/IMG] Population:4.6 Million Racial demographics: Human Culture: Very Traditionalist, preferring the old ways instead of the new. Believing in Monarchy, respect for elders, and conventional methods of doing things. For these reasons festivals and rituals are performed all over the lands for many different things, for the passing of the year, the birth of a child or a victory in battle. Type of Government: Monarchy. Influence and relations: Laurel Conrad is married to Luke Conrad = House Whiteshorn ties with House Conrad in trade and friendly relations. Ayana Suttbray is Married to Will Suttbray = House Whiteshorn ties with House Suttbray in trade and friendly relations. Trading agreements with House Ashtoken Trading Agreements with House Myrwyl Military - 22,990 [hider= 8,000 Crossbowmen] [img=http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/223/a/9/XIII_Century_Crossbowman_3_by_FraterSINISTER.jpg]# Carry Pavise shields [/hider] [hider= 12,000 Axe and shield] [img=https://img0.etsystatic.com/008/0/7552247/il_570xN.406187348_fokn.jpg] [/hider] [hider= 60 War Elephants] [img=http://muldersmenagerie2542.pbworks.com/f/1301057391/926516_20060531_screen005.jpg] Can have either spearmen or crossbowmen on back. [img=http://images4.fanpop.com/image/articles/113000/the-heroes-of-olympus_113351_4.jpg?cache=1308360536] Covered in armour [/hider] [hider= 2,000 Cavalry] [img=http://imageweb-cdn.magnoliasoft.net/bridgeman/supersize/pnp310585.jpg] Carry large spears and small blades on hips. [/hider] [hider= 100 Catapult] [img=http://www.medievalworlds.com/gallery/katapult.jpg] [/hider] [hider= 200 Ballista] [img=http://users.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/ballista/pics/ballist1.gif] [/hider] [hider= 100 Karve transport ships] [img=http://freeshipplans.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Viking_Boat.jpg] [/hider] [hider=200 Scouting Corps] The scouting corp are used to go deep into enemy lines and silently take out important officials, as well as cause panic in the enemy ranks. They mostly use long range crossbows but also have been known to use poisons and short blades. With the Average Odeshian crossbows the scouts are trained to shoot 4 bolts a minute. The scouts also have large crossbows reaching 4 feet in size, these take longer to reload and require a stand to fire but can reach ranges of 500 yards. [/hider] (330 misc men ) The tactics of the military are quite simple, a battlefield will usually involve large groups of soldiers pushing towards the enemy, attempting to blanket and overwhelm with larger numbers. Elephants are also used in this way. However the crossbow is when Odesh shows off its tactics. The crack shots are able to hit men at long distances and so are used in smaller groups, flanking the enemy and finding advantage points to silently pick off the ranks. The main army distracting the enemy. Landscape: Mediterranean climate, during the Long summers they vary from hot, dry and cool, but during the spring and midwinter seasons, they see rain. The region is almost idyllic during the Long Summer. Wildlife: [u]Animals[/u] Elephants, Goats, Sheep, Rabbits, jackals, lynx, snakes, bees, ants, beetles, spiders, scorpions, [u]Vegetation[/u] Oak, Pine and Sycamore trees. Olives, Figs, Citrus, Walnuts, Grapes Rosemary, Thyme, and Lavender Herbs History: (Optional) Strengths: Crossbowmen- Crossbowmen are trained extensively to be the most accurate and fastest reloaders in the land. Skilled engineers - Every family within the land has some connection to craftsmanship, and most have at least one trade they know of. From tool making to artillery pieces. Weaknesses: Poorly trained foot soldiers - Despite the crossbowmen being well trained, the infantry is not so well trained. Preferring to use sheer mass over skill. Poor Navy - Navy consists of transport ships and no combat ships are used. Export: Olives, Figs, Citrus, Walnuts, Grapes, Artillery, Grains, Silks, Siege weapons(Ballista, Catapult, Battering Ram) , Tools, Import: Ores/Metals(From House Conrad), Gems (From House Ashtoken], Coffee, Sugar, and tobacco (From House Suttbray), Lumber (From House Myrwyl)