[hider=Work Very much in Progress] Name: The New Kingdom of Lastar Flag/emblem: [img] http://flag-designer.appspot.com/gwtflags/SvgFileService?d=9&c1=2&c2=0&c3=3&o=0&c4=5&s=3&c5=5[/img] Demonym: The Lastari [hider=Description:] The Lastari are a relatively recent arrival to Tanis, their former distant lands having been lost to in a terrible war that devastated their home. According to Lastari legend their enemies had been the largest orc host to have ever been unified by an Orc leader. This Warlord, that the orcs revered as their god, had brought together the banners of ten thousand orc hordes to the borders of their lost kingdom and though several Lastari generals won victory after victory against these hosts it soon became clear that the Old Kingdom of Lastar could not support field armies any longer. The Lastari turned themselves inwards locking themselves in their fortress-cities with walls so tall that the highest siege tower could not reach them and archers so true that for every Lastari that was killed in combat it is said that two hundred Orcs were slain. However it was not combat that brought the old Kingdom low but hunger, and distance no enemies. Prior to the arrival of the orc chief no enemy of the Lastari had even managed to besiege even three of their fortress-cities simultaneously. Under the command of this Orc all nine cities were besieged simultaneously meaning no relief forces could be dispatched to break sieges nor could the inland cities receive any food supplies. Although their sieges lasted many years these inland cities had been the first to fall. Citizens driven mad by thirst and hunger would throw open their gates either to lead a desperate sally or to beg the mercy of the orcs. Whatever the reason these cities were sacked and burned. Eventually only the capital city remained as it had been able to supplement its own food reserves through fishing. (These orcs avoided water like the plague) Eventually though even these cities fell although the reason for their fall is lost. Some say traitors let in the orcs through a postern gate, others say that the orcs were finally able to clamber their way to the top of the city walls and into the cities over the bodies of the tens of thousands of their slain kin. It matters not. All that matters is what this final defeat meant for the Lastari. Those who had been able to flee aboard ships fled west , through seas they had never crossed and over deepest oceans where monsters roamed just beneath the surface. After an eternity adrift the lookouts finally sighted Tanis where they landed knowing themselves to be safe at last. This occurred nearly than a thousand years ago but the lessons of the lost war of the Old Kingdom will never be forgotten in the hearts of all Lastari. Never again will they allow themselves to be seperated and isolated from the rest of their kind nor would they allow themselves to be driven into starvation again. It is said that the present gluttony of the Lasatari is in itself a fulfilment of this vow. Finally the Lastari would never again tolerate an orc Kingdom near their borders. Men and women are equal in the Kingdom and partial nudity is not frowned upon as in other lands. [/hider] Government: Absolute Monarchy-A High king of the Lastari rules for life though- he is chosen from the prominent sons of the greatest nine families upon the death of the former king. This process has existed since the days of the old Kingdom and is devised to prevent succession crises. The only power denied to the High king is the Power to kill the heir to any of the nine families. He is advised by a Dwarven, an elven and a Desert folk High Lord and by a council of capable advisors. Economy: The Lastari have always been proud of their craftsmen, who make up by far the largest proportion of urban centres. The most highly esteemed among these are the shipbuilders that produce the vessels that had once saved their people from extinction. Others include blacksmiths, carpenters and masons. Outside of the cities farms are mainly arable where all forms of vegetables are grow from pumpkins and potatoes along with Lastar’s reknowned vineyards where some of the greatest variety of wines in all Tanis are produced and traded all over the world. Pastoral farmers tend to raise larger herds of smaller animals such as sheep, poultry and goats rather than beef. In the desert and tropical regions to the south more exotic foods are produced such as Cocoa, avocadoes and several kinds of melons. The Desert regions are home to tall birds that stand on two legs that lay eggs the size of pigeons though these are notoriously difficult to domesticate. Lastar has several agricultural settlements that focus entirely on the production of silk and the reproduction of Lastar’s prized silkworms. Lastar’s forests are frequently home to large numbers of axemen whose work is absolutely necessary to fuel the fires of Lastar’s industry and build the solid seaworthy vessels that Lastar is famous for. The mines of Lastaria are plentiful in useful minerals but lack many of the minerals that lend themselves to luxurious lifestyles, because of this armourers and weapon smiths tend to do well whereas jewellers and silversmiths are few and far between. Lastaria’s primary exports are common metals, its plant and animal textiles and wine. Lastar is seeking to enter arrangements to import: Foodstuffs, high quality woods and steel Religion: Lastar follows a Zoroastrian religion . Day is the kingdom of Altaiya a good, hardworking and benevolent diety whilst night is the realm of Molkor a demon of despair cold and death. Geography: Largely consists of plains, desert, with tropical areas. Can I be put on the coast between Azraca and Vathcras please? Population: 8,000,000 [u][b]Demographics[/b][/u] [b]60% Lastari-Humans[/b] The human majority of the population do not share the hardiness of the dwarves nor the grace of the elves yet they they do not posses the arrogance of the elder races either allowing them to accept new ways and not be bound the texts of old. The Lastarians in particular are very much disposed towards ship-building and travelling to explore the sights and tastes of the world. [b]20% Dwarf[/b]- Largest majority in the Kingdom these dwarves are very much appreciated by the the Lastari for their knowledge of masonry and craftsmanship. Some of the Kingdom’s greatest craftsmen belong to the dwarven minority that tends to live within its own community, content merely to pay taxes, and trade with what the ycall the big-folk. [b]10% Elf[/b]- The Elves are the Kingdom’s troublesome Minority have long tried to resist the Lastari Dominance of the coastal provinces, occasionally allying with the separatist Desert Dwellers to wage war on the Dwarves and the Lastari. The Elves known for being great bowmen would often pose serious threats to successive High Kings until 400 years ago when they were finally thoroughly beaten in battle and forced into lands away from the seas. Now once again they seem eager to wage war on the men who they believe have taken their lands. [b]10% Desert Dwellers[/b] These humans [u][/u]belong to very isolated communities based on family units that live in the desert regions of the Kingdom. They sleep under thin tents or even under the night sky around the few oases to be found in desert that comprises the south eastern border to the Kingdom. Any person seeking to pass through their land needs their guidance AND their permission and they never neglect to collect their toll. They are famous as skirmishers and have domesticated a desert beast with a sting and large pincers that they often use in battle. [hider=Notable Locations:] There are six Principle cities in Lastria: three belonging to the native Lastrian humans each based on the Lastarian fortress-cities of old. Each of the other ethnic groups have their a city each(their capital) but are otherwise spread throughout smaller settlements to disperse their power. This was done after the lastarians first landed and subdued the old races. Lastarian cities: [b][u]Bar-Nenufar:[/u][/b] ‘The City of Ships’. This is the capital of the kingdom, built on a small peninsula just off the coast of the mainland connected only by a narrow land bridge. Here live the men and women of the nine great families who can trace their blood back to old Lastar and can prove that they have not mingled with the other races from their new homeland. The people here are traders, warriors and craftsmen but above all they are sailors for all Nenufarians are taught how to sail should the need to find a new home ever arise again. In Bar Nenufar lies the High Temple of Altaiya which is the greatest temple to the deity in all Tanis where all citizens of the city and their guests may enter and study the hundred-thousand tomes of knowledge in its’ great library and can meditate in peace. No blood is ever to be shed in the High Temple save to preserve it from those who would shed the blood of the faithful in it. In the upper levels of the Temple live the clergy , from the lowest monk to the Prophet himself in the same type of accomodation. The High Prophet is said to speak directly to Altaiya and will only speak with the High King or lower members of his own clergy. [u][b]Bar-Tolkos ‘The Iron-City’[/b][/u]. This city is a known to be a fortress even to those familiar with the fortress cities of Lastaria, with three walls each thicker and taller than the one before, and moats thirty metres wide it has never fallen to siege. Inside live the majority of the the kingdom’s soldiers in peacetime and only the families belonging to active soldiers or veterans may benefit from the city’s safety alogn with their servants. Whilst spartan compared to the other cities of the Kingdom it is not without it’s amenities, Bar-Tolkos is home to the continent’s single largest bathhouse with hot baths, cold baths, pools, steam rooms and oil rooms where servants cleanse the bodies of their patrons with scented oils and balms. This city is known as the healthiest city in the kingdom and many apothecaries and physicians have learned much from studying the various injuries faced by the Kingdom’s soldiers as well as the diseases that are common to large groups of men when they stay too close for too long. This is why Bar-Tolkos has perhaps developed the cleanest sewage system in the Kingdom and is spared many of the disease that similar settlements face. [b]Bar-Argan:[/b] The City of Markets. If a giant eagle looked down at the city it would not be able to see the streets except through the bridghly coloured materials that cover them from one building to another under these canvases and in the buildings themselves everything is can be found from wine to silver jewelry to weapons and toys as well as foreign goods. It is said that more money is made in the streets on Bar-Agran in a week than the city of Bar-Tolkos makes in taxes over a year. The merchants of the city are known to be shrewd yet hospital to gests from all around (except orcs) and between them possess a massive fleet of merchants vessels and several dozen private escort ships to protect their exports and imports. [b][u]Fosta-Dum[/u][/b], (Also known a Bar-Dum) this is the city of the dwarves, built into one of the few Mountain chains in the Kingdom the dwarves live mostly underground where they extract wealth from great seams of silver in the ground. Iron, however, remains the single largest export of the the Dwarf Capital. Although not as secretive and haughty as the elves the dwarves do not readily invite humans that are not friends to their people into their city and thus little is recorded of their city. The Dwarf Lord is the elected ruler of this city and the primary representative to the high King of Lastaria. [b][u]Kanistorion[/u][/b]: City of the elves is not like any other it’s buildings are not made or stone nor found on the ground, instead elegant and narrow staircases lead onto elevevated platforms built atop the tallest trees in the forests of Lastar. The elves though relatively few in numbers guard the woods they see as their jealously making it difficult for the men to obtain the wood they need for their ships. This is often a source of conflict between men and elves. Their fine longbows make it difficult to armies to attack their lands without ensuing massive casualties. Although nominally part of the Kingdom, increasing numbers of Elves are keen to through off the shackles of human domination and declare independence. The Elven King is chosen by his people by vote. [u][b]Harnen:[/b][/u] the city of the desert folk. Though too small in number to truly make up a city; the desert dwellers have brought together several tens of thousands of their people into the tent-city of Harnen. These desert folk have come together to protect themselves from external threats and to trade with one another. One key attribute of the tent-city is that is moves. Hardy as they may be even the desert dwellers need a source of freshwater and thus Harnen is set up alongside the Oases in the Lastari desert. However as many a foolish king discovered such wells are not inexhaustible and must be left alone for several years to be replenished by rainfall. Therefore every three years the people of Harnen, pack up all their belongings onto the backs of camels, mules and other beats and embark on a mass migration to the next well. These travels have resulted in the men of the desert travelling light and sharing little of the concern for controlling material wealth that their neighbours all posses Because of these migrations the men of the desert have a certain romantic appeal to them among the singers of the Kingdom who see them as undertaking a similar journey to the Lastari who fled to Tanis many centuries ago. Several permanent settlements exist as well although these are naturally much smaller and usually only make up several hundred citizens and are often found on the border between the coast and the desert. They are led by a High Chieftain chosen from among their people based on their combat ability and their ability to recite the beautiful, epic-length poems of their people. [/hider] [b]Personalities of Note:[/b] High King: His highness Victor. Age 23 Tall dark and long haired King Victor often known as King Victor Longstrider as he spent many years of his youth exploring the lands around Lastaria travelling aroudn the continent on his vessel ' [i]The Red Dawn[/i]' before beingchosen to serve as king. Victor has yet to choose a wife, traditionally royal brides have been chosen from local powerful families but many are concerned that due to Victor's nature he will seek to find a wive among the elves, the Dwarves or the desert people to brign stability to his Kingdom that is facing the risk of ethnic troubles. Observers who know him better advance the proposition that once again King Victor may look beyond the borders of his Kingdom and lead his people into lands further afield to claim riches and fertile lands and perhaps even a wife. Institutions: The Nine families: These are the old families whose lineage can be traced back to before the Great Journey over the Sea. High kings of Lastaria can only be chosen from among the scions of these families. Between them they control much of the trade and military might of the kingdom. Although the High King officially rules them he would be wise to consider their wishes as he relies heavily on their support to rule.(They are like Ducal houses) The Clergy of Altaiya: This temple rules the spiritual lives of the Lastari and have the power to influence the common folk massively (less so with the nine families). The prophet can declare people both from within and without the Kingdom to be 'Servants of Darkness'- that is to say of the Demon god Molkor and all faithful followers of the faith are expected to make it a duty of theirs to kill the man. Before the fall of Old Lastar the Prophet used to call down inquisitions on nations of such heathens and large numbers of common-folk would flock to the Church's Sun Banner to defend the Prophet of Altaiya. The power of the clergy has since been limited but they still carry much influence within the Kingdom. The Dwarven Council: A secretive council which is made up of the chief craftsmen and warriors of the dwarven people they send delegates to the capital to represent the interests of their people. The Elven King: A lesser king chosen to rule over the elves by the elves themselves accordign to a strange practice where all men (AND WOMEN!) are given a say in the election of their king. This leader represents the interests of the Elves in the Capital. The merchant-guilds of Bar Agran, this is a massively influential grouping of merchants and guild masters fro mthe economic heart of the Kingdom with its' own fleet and impressive resources. In the past the guild had rebelled agaisnt the High Kign but the army send from Bad- Tolkos quickly crushed their rebellion. They now act as principal money lenders to the crown obtaining a hefty sum of interest from the king each time he seeks to borrow money for a campaign. Their fleet now serves primarily to ward off pirates and to escort their vessels through troubled waters. [b]Military Organisation: [/b] The Lastari army is made up of volunteers in peacetime, with each Kingdom providing it's specialties. The Lastari tend to make up the majority of the fleet and the cavalry, the elves provide almost all archers, the dwarves make up the heaviest infantry whilst the men of the desert provide auxilary forces such as Scorpion cavalry and skirmishers. In times of war up to another 2% of the population can be recruited relatively quickly and equipped with basic leather armour and pikes but should not be relied on against decent enemy forces. Troop Total: Permanent Volunteer force of 240,000 men (3% of the population) Army: Lastari Humans: 100,000 - 20,000 knights and Lancers- Plate and chainmail armoured men at arms mounted on destriers. 50,000- melee Infantrymen- These warriors are equipped with as much iron armour can be spared and are serperated into three distinct classes- 15,000 Armoured Spearmen equipped with 5 foot halberds they excel and destroying cavalry assaults- They take great pride in being able to form hedgehog formations from which they rely on one-another who protect themselves in a circle denying enemy forces any angle of attack. 20,000 Swordsmen: These are soldiers who have spent their lives training to use bastard swords in combinations with their greatshields. Making up the majority of the Lastari human infantry contingent these men strike fear into the hearts of the enemy due to their height and heavy iron armour. Painted onto their shields are the sigils of the great houses that they fight for. 10,000- Beserker Axemen: These are the lightest armoured men of the army, usually clad only in leather, furs and whatever metal armour they have been able to scavenge. A good number of these men are 'volunteers' from city jails who have little to lose by going into battle and only redemption to gain. These men rely more on their ability to intimidate and terrify their foes than on armour. This sacrifice gives them the added benefit of speed. These men wielding massive double-bladed axes are known to desecrate the body of their defeated foes and many wear the skinned faces of their enemies over their own or take a tooth fro mdefeated enemies to wear on a necklace around their necks. The nobler elements of the army are not proud of these men but they know that they are entirely dependable and utterly without fear as they are often adminitered specific drugs just before battle to drive them into a frenzy. 5,000 Temple Fanatics: These are warrior-priests of the church of Altaiya. Their services are sworn to the High King and are often the elite units of the infantry and wear only the finest black armour from inside the forges of the high Temple. Little is known of their training as it occurs within the cellars of the high Temple which are forbidden to all who are not of the clergy. All that is known of these men is that they have never fled from battle ans that they have often fought overwhelming odds and won. When the bodies of these warriors have been examined it is revealed that their entire bodies are tattooed in the holy words of the Church and many believe that this initiation process is what eliminates their ability to feel pain. When cut these men bleed black blood. 20,000 Longbow men: These men are trained to fire a variety of arrows from great yew bows across the battlefield so that they rain down like hail upon the enemy. They use bodkin arrows to pierce enemy chain mail and light armour and lodge barbed arrows into the unprotected flesh of horses and lightly armored foes. 10,000 baggage train men: These include Foragers, Engineers and battlefield physicians Dwarves 40,000 30,000 Heavy Infantry: These are the most heavily armoured men available to the High King. Despite their short height the dwarves are blessed with great strength and thus wear armour several inches thicker than that of the strongest man. The Dwarves traditionally wield War hammers or Battle Axes but increasingly they have taken to using adapted swords and shields. 10,000 Repeating crossbowmen- unlike men or Elves the Dwarves do not have the height to project arrows several hundred feet across the battlefield from great yew war-bows. Instead thanks to their ingenuity they have devised crossbows that can fire up to two dozen darts/bolts in quick succession before begin reloaded in 'clips'. The only disadvantage to this weapon is that it has a much shorter range than most bows and thus most dwarves choose to work in team using pavises allowing them to get closer to the nemy in relative safety. Elves: 20,000 10,000 Longbowmen: Unlike humans elves wear little armour allowing their archers to move with more grace and speed. Whereas a skilled human archer might fire up to 15 arrows a minute a common elf long bowman will typically come closer to 23. This allows this auxiliary force to showers great numbers of arrows on the enemy in very little time pinning them in positions of weakness for the cavalry to sweep. 10,000- Spearmen: Elven warrior carrying a sword a shield and a spear these mighty warriors are often used to keep enemy infantry at bay whilst archers rain hell upon the enemy. Desert men: 24,000 5,000 Infantry Skimishers these men are a lightly armoured men armed with javelins,throwing knives and slings whose main objective is to weaken an enemies infantry line before they make contact with the infantry of Lastaria. By throwing a variety of projectiles they prevent the enemy from adopting a single approporate defensive remedy. 10,000 Mounted Skirmishers: These men are very similar to their infantry counterparts but are mounted on camels or on horses and are often used to harrass enemy armies on the move before dissapearing into the countryside. 5,000 shock cavalry: These are the heavy cavalry of the desert men. The mounts themselves are armoured beasts with a venomous dard and a thick carapace. The men of the desert have domesticated these giant scorpions and have frequently used them very successfully to destroy enemy cavalry. it takes a very brave man to fight not only armoured rider but also a beasts whose carapace can withstand all the most direct blows. 4,000 Scythed Chariots: These Chariots are made up of three men teams; a driver a spear man and a bowman. the latter two protect the former as he drives his chariot into the ranks of enemy infantry mowing them down in great numbers if they are not sufficiently prepared. Often used in flanking Maneuvers. Navy:56,000 (44,000 Lastarians+ 8,000 Dwarves+ 4,000 Elves) Dwarves make up heavy boarding troops Elves are predominantly long distance archers for ship battles The men act ad officers, rowers and adapt to whatever role is needed as all Lastari men are formed to fight on the seas. Other: (Such as siege equipment, a secret service, internal security, important mercenaries, or paramilitary forces, etc.) [/hider] [hider=Details] ESSENTIALS Population Density (Population - 8,000,000) - Highly populated, regionally dense; A large 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 agriculture to sustain itself. Economy - Slow Growth - The economy is performing well, though there is room for improvement. There are certain limitations on the economy that are bottlenecking real growth, such as a restriction in supplies or insufficient demand, however. There is some unemployment and economic unhappiness among people in the lower income brackets. You are heavily dependent on trade. Urbanisation - Heavily: Many towns and cities are present in your nation. Technology - 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 on par, iron lies within your capabilities. Domestic Political Stability - Ethnic violence GEOGRAPHY Largely consists of plains, desert, with tropical areas RESOURCES Mineral Deposits - Extensive deposits of metals and minerals. Valuable Mineral Deposits - Trace deposits of rare earth metals, predominately silver. Unique Materials - Wine (as in, exquisite wine), textiles Agriculture - crops and small livestock based, food surplus slowly shrinking MILITARY Military Focus - Decent army and navy, good infantry and cavalry ratio (6:1) Military Recruitment - Volunteer Force Military, additional levies in wartime Reliability - Levies are of decent quality, generals are competitive and play at politics Military Size - Large, relative to population: requires considerable upkeep, harder to equip/supply quickly, they put a strain on your food production and economy; seasonal levies Military Technology - Rapid Modernization, your nation does not lag behind the rest of the world, and even sets the standard on some levels. Military Training and Morale - Decently Trained; High Morale, levies are of good quality with poor morale Military Leadership - Incompetent; Rose to their positions through inheritance and election; loyal to themselves Military Reputation - Popular domestically; considered large and dangerous by foreigners Siege Equipment - Obsolete, you prefer to besiege enemies and starve them into submission Strengths & weaknesses Pro: Monolithic: Your nation is a monolith. It stands astride the world like a colossus. Or at the least that is the impression it conveys to others and works to cultivate. An intimidating nation might just avoid conflicts it would rather avoid. Pro: A Pirate's life for me: The men of Lastaria are all raised to be skilled sea men, their ships are elegant yet more durable than most. The great Journey over the Ocean has instilled in the people of the Kingdo mthe importance of good naval etiquette. Con: Gluttonous Pigs: Your people just can’t keep themselves from eating more than their share. Actually, more than they’re, their neighbour, and the merchant across the streets share too now that we think about it. Con: 'I'm not racist but....': The majority of the lastari look down on forigners as inferior people from inferior Kingdoms fit only to be swindled or dominated. This makes diplomatic initiatives very difficult as even the most willing and friendly ambassador will find himself straining to remain polite with the King of another nation if he feels that his time is being wasted. [/hider]