Subject to Revision, Still Partially Under Construction [hider=The Fulmen Nati][center][h1][b][u]The Fulmen Nati[/u][/b][/h1] [img]http://i.imgur.com/wMYjsMu.png[/img][/center] [B]Demonym:[/B] The Fulmen, The Nati, Demihumans, Savages, Primitives [hider=Description]The Fulmen Nati are a subgroup of genetically distinct humans isolated in the jungle vales of the continent's Western edge. They live in twelve divisive regions centered around large city-villages, with several regions being controlled by despotic warlords who constantly wage battle with each other and rule using fear and terror. The populace has a strong, culturally ingrained religion which is omnipresent throughout all of their society, and a ruling thearchy exists in the form of a gathering of twelve senior shaman, one from each region. The senior-most shaman is chosen to serve as the Lugal, a conduit for the will of the Fulmen Nati pantheon's foremost god, for a period of up to a year, after which they die and must be replaced. As such, the roster of shaman amongst the gathering is constantly shifting and changing as the years pass by. The thearchy has no formally recognized authority, but retains de-facto control of the nation due to their vast cultural and traditional influence.[/hider][B]Government:[/B] Oligarchical Theocracy. A ruling body of Shaman control all of society due to immense traditional and cultural influence over all affairs of note. Most mandates and decrees are passed down from the senior-most Shaman, the Lugal, who serves as an alleged conduit for the will of the Fulmen Natis' foremost god. The nation is thus said to be governed according to divine providence.[hider=Economy:]The Fulmen Nati lack any form of official currency, and still use a barter and trade system involving goods and services. All forms of material wealth tend to flow in one of three directions - subsistence utilities, local warlords, and the local priesthood. The common people use most of their resources to tend to their own needs, while Warlords contribute fortifications and military utilities, and the Priesthood focuses on public works. In the Fulmen Nati tongue, the word for 'Trade' means the same as 'Mutual Raiding.' City Villages do not nominally trade, but goods are regularly stolen and shifted between population centers by skirmishing forces.[/hider][hider=Religion]The Fulmen Nati worship a pantheon of seven gods. Tafari, God of Awe and Power. Tiamat, Goddess of Despair, Anguish, Rage, and Rancor. Sathanas, Goddess of the Unknown and the Ineffable. Poe, God of Chaos, Madness, Inspiration, and Art. An, Goddess of Wind, Breath, and Grace. Mannet, God of Matter and Motion. Mot, God of Sterility and Death. The gods came to the world after it had already been formed, and choose it as their new home. Each of them took a form within the universe, becoming embodiments of the physical laws and nature of the world itself. First was Tafari, who became the Star. All power, all life, and all change flow from him and the light he emits. He is worshiped through demonstrations of might and superiority. Various states of mind, such as Awe, Terror, Confusion, and Euphoria are all associated with him, and as such he is also the god most responsible for prophetic visions and dreams. An infamous prophecy told long ago stated that the God Tafari would know three laments, and upon the third, the end of the world would dawn. Thus far, Tafari is considered to know two laments. Second was Sathanas, who became one with the aether and the outer boundaries of space, forever unseen and intangible, working in ways alien and unknown even to the other members of the Pantheon. This resulted in the first lament of Tafari, who could no longer see his sister, no matter how swiftly or how far he flung his light. Sathanas is worshiped through the contemplation of unknowable things; upon her holy day it is customary to have one's dwelling rearranged by a stranger and then attempt to reason why each change was made. Third was Tiamat, who became the essence of Form and Shape, embodying the bones of the Earth as an opposite to the position of her sister, Sathanas. She is said to define the nature of all things through their shape and qualities, and as such is associated with the personality and mind. The Fulmen Nati believe that only despair and rage can give rise to true strength and as the source of all personal drive (Sorrow and Anger. The happy are complacent). As such, Tiamat is worshiped as font of these two extremes. She is worshiped only on moonless nights by bathing in tar. Fourth was Poe, who attempted to manifest his form directly upon the world itself. Because of the nature of the world, he shattered into countless pieces upon the attempt, each piece being flung to one of the world's countless corners. Each shard of the god remained alive, driven mad with pain and existential agony, and so began to twist and distort the weft and fabric of the world - thus, the shards of Poe are said to make up the essence of all reflective surfaces. Poe is therefore the god of Chaos and Madness, embodying disorder, but is also the source of all inspiration, daring, and spirit. On Poe's holy day, one is expected to create a great work of art, and then subsequently destroy it in public. Fifth was An, who also desired to manifest their form directly upon the world. Seeing her brother's failed attempt, she shaped her mind into a needle, and her body into thread, and thus pierced through the fabric of the world and wove herself through it. However, as she continuously pulls herself through the world, her body unweaves itself behind her - thus giving rise to the phenomena of wind. She is worshiped through Dance. Sixth was Mannet, who also desired to manifest upon the world. However, fearful of attempting to do so as Poe had, and not being as graceful as his sister An, Mannet lacked any clever means of doing so - until he noticed that light shed by Tafari could fall upon the world without being destroyed, despite originating from his divine body. Thus, Mannet infused Tafari's light with his essence, and fell upon the world, seeping into the ground. However, his plan fell short when he found himself unable to emerge from the Earth, distributed across its entire surface as heat and warmth. Thus, Mannet became forever trapped, his struggles to form a body manifesting as the shifting and malleable nature of matter. This resulted in the second Lament of Tafari, who felt great anguish upon having unwillingly trapped his brother. Mannet is worshipped through the art of metalworking. Seventh and last of all was Mot, God of Sterility and Death. Mot, being greedy and envious of the entirety of the universe and the holdings of all his siblings, refused to take form within the universe itself, instead remaining without it. He thus embodies the void of potentia, and so is the God of Sterility - the absence of potential. Mot is well known for his greed and his insatiable hunger, and so constantly devours pieces of the universe, and is responsible for entropy and death. All things are said to eventually wind up in Mot's belly, which is vaster and darker than the deepest and darkest of oceans. Mot was originally worshipped through sacrificial rites and ritual dismemberment with the mummification of the removed appendage. However, after the incident involving the Necromancer Tien'camot, worship of Mot is actively discouraged.[/hider][hider=Geography][img]http://i.imgur.com/6DNjgMO.png[/img] The Fulmen Nati occupy a diverse range of biomes. Most of their land is made up of swamp and marshland, giving way to thicker tropical jungles and heavy vegetation. Many of these swamps and jungles are nestled between massive mountain valleys, and the region is host to multiple mountain chains. Around the outskirts of their jungles and valleys is largely rocky riverland. The region is home to some of the most extreme altitude points on the continent - the mountain of Fulmen Vigra is possibly the tallest mountain on the continent, while the Baleosus basin is perhaps the deepest massive depression present.[/hider][hider=Population and Demographics:]Gender Makeup: 52% Male - 48% Female Ethnic Makeup: +98% Demihuman - ~2% Miscellaneous Minorities Languages Spoken: 87% D'ni - 21% Stel - 14% Carn - 39% Ei'ge Religions: ~100% Effulgent - ~12% Draconic - ~19% Stranger - ~13% Mourner - ~32% Threader - ~28% Molder - -1% Sterile[/hider][hider=Demihumans]The Fulmen Nati population went through a severe genetic bottleneck in the recent past, resulting in a marked genetic drift away from baseline humans. Demihumans have skin that is tinged with a faint green hue, akin to that of trolls. They tend to be somewhat stronger physically than regular humans, but have a lower overall blood pressure and problems with blood clotting, meaning they heal slowly in comparison and take longer to shift their bodies into high gear.[/hider][B][u]Notable Locations:[/u][/B] [u]Fulmen Vigra:[/u] The sacred site atop the Mt. Limen, where the influence of the Fulmen Nati's foremost god is said to be strongest. [u]Fuliperlitt:[/u] The largest, most developed city in all the Nati lands. It is the crowning jewel of their civilization, built into a plateau in the shadow of Mt. Limen. [u]Apricor:[/u] The tower citadel, a massive temple built in honor of the gods, built atop a large meca near the Northern shoreline. Home to a large number of religious scholars and prophets, and also a center of training for their holy order of warriors. [u]Iugulum Mot:[/u] The Sunken City-Village, rumored to have been devoured by swamp itself as an offering to Mot in a plot facilitated by the high Priest Tien'camot. Said to be cursed and haunted by revenants and wraiths, few dare to venture near it. [u]Baleosus:[/u] A city-village built into the Metfall basin, Baleosus is the most industrialized city present amongst the Nati lands. Most of their mineral wealth and metalwork originates from here. It has several large, hand-carved shafts of stone that are nearly two miles deep in the Earth, with mines and barrow passages branching off of each. [u]Radix Arx:[/u] A city-village built into a series of underground ruins. Most of the population is made up of the subterranean Last Family, and almost qualifies as a micro-nation unto itself. Most of the internal going-ons of Radix Arx are unknown to the outside world. [hider=Personalities of Note] [u]Tien'diad:[/u] Tien'diad is a warrior of great repute and fame, said to be thrice blessed by Tafari, Tiamat, and An to never fall in battle. Rose to prominence after defeating the twin Warlords Sirn and Ara'chatuh in a trial by champion engagement between two skirmishing militias. He was once favored to replace them as a Warlord, but eventually dedicated himself to a Holy Purpose and now serves the Religious Order. [u]Warlord Charis:[/u] Warlord of the city-village Ecsigent and the surrounding region, Charis is far and away the most singularly bloodthirsty of the five warlords. Infamous for using fire to great effect and commonly leading skirmishes during storms. Charis has standing orders to summarily execute any women who bear her approximate appearance after learning that the warlord Nallot favored concubines who resembled her. [u]Warlord Nallot:[/u] Warlord of the city-village Satus, who is considered the most civilized. Most likely of any of the warlords to openly deal with outsiders, and has a keen mind for trade. Has a fondness for exotic creatures and possessions. Despite being somewhat reasonable, he is still quick to use his forces as leverage and has a short temper. He is also rumored to pay handsomely for slaves with a particular look about them... [u]Warlord Balefor:[/u] Warlord of the city-village Baleosus and the entire Metfall Basin. He effectively controls the flow of all minerals and metals in and out of the basin, and is thus in an incredibly advantageous political and economic position. He is a relative newcomer to the five warlords, and nobody is quite sure what his intentions are. He will launch raids and skirmishes at others as a matter of course, but is largely unaggressive and seemingly content to sit where he is and consolidate his power. The word is that he is willing to buy slaves from foreign powers in bulk, doubtlessly to serve as laborers in the Baleosus shaft mines. [u]Lugal Aigen:[/u] The newly installed Lugal of the Fulmen Nati, previously high priest of the city-village of Fulperlitt. Known for being firm of hand and decisive. Has turned their gaze outwards to the other nations and lands on the continent. May or may not be a Demigod of unfathomable power. [u]High Priest Iimah'lutah:[/u] The current senior-most high priest of the Lugal's gathering, Iimah'lutah is also the nominal leader of the city-village of Apricor, and is therefore unofficially the head of the entire religious order. Somewhat overzealous and stern, unwilling to accept compromise. [u]High Priest Tien'camot:[/u] The exiled priest. Said to have caused the now-cursed city-village of Iugulum Mot to have sunk into the swamp as an offering to his god, Mot. On that day he was exiled from the gathering, and his seat was cursed to forevermore remain empty and to seep with the blood of those he slaughtered. It is said that Tien'camot is a necromancer, capable of raising the dead to serve his will, and it is also said that Mot has gifted him with immortality.[/hider][hider=Institutions][u]The Gathering of High Priests under the Lugal:[/u] The Lugal and the gathering of high priests nominally control the entire nation. The Lugal is said to serve as a conduit for the will of the Fulmen Nati's foremost god. As there is a strong, deeply ingrained cultural religious heritage throughout the entire land, nearly everybody will do as they say without hesitation. Their priests and scholars roam throughout the land, preaching and serving the common people, and they control the order of holy warriors. [u]The Apricor Prophets:[/u] A group of 12 prophets who live in seclusion at Apricor. Are said to have abandoned their individuality in order to operate as a single entity, capable of inducing prophetic visions of unparalleled clarity and purpose. [u]Tafari's Questors:[/u] The order of Holy Warriors who serve the priesthood. Questors are sworn to protect the priesthood and otherwise enforce the path of Tafari. They are zealouts, and are entirely uncompromising in their beliefs. They technically operate independently of the priesthood proper, and as such can sometimes be witnessed operating as bands of warriors journeying through the wilderness, unaccompanied by members of the priesthood. [u]The Effulgent Scholars:[/u] A guild of Religious Scholars from all the city-villages, the Scholars collect tomes of lore and accumulate knowledge in pursuit of the greater glory of the Fulmen Nati's pantheon. [u]The Regional Warlords:[/u] Five warlords, each ruling over a regional city-village of the Fulmen Nati with an iron fist. Each of them rules through fear and the authority of the sword, but they are universally respecting of the religious order, and most of them even keep priests as advisers and counsel. [u]The Free Family:[/u] A single lineage within the Fulmen Nati which is said to control more than half of all the wealth that flows through the nation, spread across the city-villages but nonetheless united under the common banner of family. While pious, they are known for being power hungry and ambitious, and the family is rife with petty internal politics. They unofficially own, run, and operate much of the Fulmen Nati land. The only real opposition they have comes in the form of the five regional warlords. [u]The Blooded Family:[/u] The Blooded Family is not so much a group as much as it is a racial hierarchy. Any species and race can become a member of the Fulmen Nati, and when they do, they join the Blooded Family. In essence, the Blooded Family includes any non-Demihuman member of the Fulmen Nati. As the Blooded Family is currently nonexistent amongst their society, there is not much opinion of them. [u]The Last Family:[/u] A genetically isolated lineage even within the Fulmen Nati, they are a single family who control the city-village of Radix Arx. They are incredibly wary of outsiders, and are hesitant even to let other Fulmen within their society. Almost their entire population worships Mannet alongside Tafari, and they possess a large number of cultural traditional and laws which make them almost alien in comparison to the other city-villages. [u]The Venerable Aspirants:[/u] A large, prestigious organization that acts as one. The Blooded Family is infamous for their participation in annual holy day celebrations. They exist in order to raise orphans and the desperate as sacred warriors who participate in glorious competitions and bouts during das of celebration, with the winners being sacrificed by by tied to a lightning rod. Needless to say, mortality is quite high, and the Blooded Family is always looking for new individuals to fill their ranks. The glory of Tafari is always in need of fresh blood. [u]The Cult of Mot:[/u] Ever since the incident at Iugulum Mot, worship of the God of Sterility has been all-but outlawed. That does not mean he has no followers remaining, however, and here and there, scattered throughout society, his few remaining worshipers practice in secret. [u]The Cult of An:[/u] A heretical group of religious practitioners who were eradicated more than a decade ago for their sacrilegious practices. Rarely spoken of, if ever, and even then only in whispers.[/hider][hider=Military][u]Organisation:[/u] The forces of the Fulmen Nati are divided between five divisive regional warlords and the religious order. While the religious order nominally controls and manipulates each of the warlords and their forces, ultimately each of them are closer to enemies than allies. Skirmishes, raids, and border engagements between warlords are common. [u]Troop Total:[/u] 160,000 Individuals, consisting mostly of skirmishers. [u]Army:[/u] There are five different standing armies amongst the Fulmen Nati, all boasting different numbers, tactics, regional influence, equipment, and so forth. [u]Navy:[/u] The Fulmen Nati have a nonexistent navy. The closest thing they have to boats are rudimentary rafts used to navigate large swamps and rivers. Naval warfare is entirely unknown to them. [u]Holy Order:[/u] The order of Holy Warriors that protect the priesthood operate on an entirely different scale and utilize different tactics relative to the guerrilla forces of the warlords. They tend not to travel in groups larger than seven though, and so are not a true military force per-se, although if they choose to congregate they could form an intimidating army.[/hider][/hider][hider=Rolls][b]ESSENTIALS[/b] Population Density (Population - 3,200,000) - Regionally Dense; A good amount of manpower for the military and economic purposes, with social infrastructure strained more at a regional basis. Civic projects range from affordable to expensive. The nation requires a stronger economy to sustain itself. Economy - Stagnation - The economy is performing adequately, though there is room for improvement. There are certain limitations on the economy that are bottlenecking real growth, such as a restriction in investment capital or insufficient demand, however. There is some unemployment and economic unhappiness among people in the lower income brackets, and there is a degree of criticism in what can go wrong, even if it hasn't gone wrong yet. Urbanisation - Semi-urbanised: There are several towns and a few cities present, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand inhabitants. Technology - Slowly Modernizing: The industrial infrastructure is in the process of improvement, and this is a teething process. But the economy is seeing increased activity because of this investment. New technologies are becoming domestically available. However, there is a degree of dependence on imports, including in terms of the expertise to modernize the economy. Metallurgy is limited to bronze products. Domestic Political Stability - Growing Unrest [b]GEOGRAPHY[/b] Largely consists of jungles and hills, with swamps, marshes, and mountain chains. [b]RESOURCES[/b] Mineral Deposits - Rich deposits of metals and minerals such as copper, lead, coal, usable stone. Valuable Mineral Deposits - Trace deposits of rare earth metals. Unique Materials - incense, dyes, ivory Agriculture - crop based, food surplus that is decreasing over time [b]MILITARY[/b] Military Focus - inferior army and navy, ranged focus, bad infantry and cavalry ratio (15:1) Military Recruitment - Forced recruitment Reliability - Levies are of decent quality, generals play politics, decentralised Military Size - small core of professional units: requires some upkeep, easy to equip/supply quickly, seasonal levies Military Technology - Antiquated, your nation lags behind the rest of the world, and stubbornly clings to ancient traditions. Military Training and Morale - Highly Trained; Low Morale, levies are of decent quality but low morale Military Leadership - Competent; Rose to their positions through experience and battlefield exploits; decadent Military Reputation - Unpopular domestically; considered devious by foreigners Siege Equipment - practically non-existent, instead your army relies on grapling hooks and infiltration[/hider]