@DarkspleenI have several questions 1) Was this being talked about for awhile because that is a lot of CS's for 9 hours XD 2) is the political map with the colors...does that mean it is all filled?
Well the interest check went up 2 days ago and I already had 5 countries on the map before that even, so yea. XP
@Poohead189@Catchphrase I have space for 1, maybe 2, countries in the southwest. All the colors are claimed territories.
“You called for me?” Fajar dropped to a knee and bowed his head as he spoke the words. He hated being summoned to the commander’s pavilion. Feared it. Feared the man, if one could call it that, that was in the pavilion.
“I did.” A voice answered, one that Fajar knew far better than he had ever wished. “You may rise.” Fajar hesitated for a moment before doing so.
“Is… Is now the time Lord Goscelin?” Fajar asked as he quickly took in the interior of the pavilion. It was mostly empty, save a large table dominated by a map of a continent he had never seen and an individual dressed in blackened armor.
“It is.” Goscelin said as he gestured for Fajar to approach the table. Drawing closer confirmed his suspicions that the continent was one unknown to him. The names of the countries on that map were not so foreign to him however. And how could they have been? Goscelin and the other Einherjar, the true Einherjar, had been obsessing about destroying the likes of Mycae, Riawin, and Eisen since before Fajar had ever even heard of the Einherjar. “Our attack starts soon” Goscelin stated, “and you shall be our spearhead.” Something about the way Goscelin said that last line caused Fajar to shiver.
“Will the Legions support me, Lord Goscelin?” Fajar asked.
“Of course. We wouldn’t dare miss out on the massacre.” Fajar had seen the Einherjar raze entire cities simply because they hadn’t surrendered fast enough. He had no doubt that Lord Goscelin was speaking literally.
“And what… is the plan?” Fajar asked after a moment.
“It all starts with the so-called ‘Fell Lands’” Goscelin began. “They will either bend their knee to us or flee in terror. Regardless of the decision they make, they will cause chaos in the northern regions of Mycae. And while the Mycaens are distracted in the north, you will lead our armies to strike them in the south.”
Fajar eyed the map for a moment before commenting “This Mycae looks like a great empire. Won’t we sustain serious casualties fighting them?”
“The strongest materials are also the most brittle.” Goscelin stated. “Kill or turn the Mycaen Lord Cornwalkis and the country will fall apart. Even now we are working to turn the nobility to our cause.” Goscelin paused for a moment before adding “You need not concern yourself with these matters Fajar. Leading the vanguard is your task.”
“I understand my lord.”
“Good. Now once Mycae has fallen we will move here” He traced a line from Mycae to a country called Cormyral. “If all goes according to plan Cormyral will already be at war with its neighbor, Riawin. Even if it is not, the outcome will be the same. We will break the Cormyrean hero known as the ‘Lioness’ and in doing so we will break the country. The entirety of the south will soon be thrown into chaos as all the remnants of the Riawin Empire fight each other. They will be easy pickings.”
“From there” Goscelin continued, “The west will be open for invasion. We will have to take care with Dakarragord. They know war better than others. I have great hopes in turning them, but should that fail killing their leader, Vaemaradosth Dakan, will spell their end. Great conquerors they may be, but in the end they are no different from any other group of barbarians.”
“What of the northern regions?” Fajar asked. “This Sakabanatu region and further north?”
“They are of no concern.” Goscelin stated. “The barbarians of Sakabanatu are disorganized and no threat. And those who dwell further north… They may be amongst the greatest warriors on the continent. We will leave them till the end or they will charge at us to their own doom. Either way it makes no difference.”
“When is it that we will use the fleet?” Fajar asked. “Would it not be easier to conquer the likes of Cormyral and Riawin if we struck from both land and sea?”
“The fleet” Goscelin’s tone caused the blood to drain from Fajar’s face, “is not something you need concern yourself with. It will be used in a time and place of my choosing. Not a moment before. Now go. Ready your troops. Soon we will strike.”
Type: Noble Republic The ruler, granted the title of Prince or Princess, is a member of the aristocracy who has been elected by other members of the aristocracy. Each term is ten years and there is no theoretical limit to terms. In theory the Prince has absolute power over the country; however, in practice the aristocracy holds quite a bit of power itself and is roughly on par with that of the Prince. In practice the Prince has little power in regards to domestic issues, with most of his power and influence revolving around dealing with foreign entities.
Geography
The region north of the capital Levine and city Arksale is a dry area that turns from a plains just north of these cities to a full desert the further north one goes. South of Levine, all the way to Narssis and Anssee is fairly temperate, perfect for farming. There are a number of large forests in this region. The further south one goes from Narssis and Anssee, the more humid it gets. The islands of Xoskea are tropical in climate, in large part due to the warm currents of the sea. In the west, the region by the city of Astrea is damp and cold.
Kern is known as the second capital of Cormyral, serving as its largest trade port and main route to Riawin. Southlee is the only major Kohnian city and also serves as an important trade hub, though not nearly as important as either Levine or Kern.
Culture
Cormyral possesses numerous ethnicities, the major four being the Acithans, Kohnians, Siphonese, and Xoskeans. These ethnicities are united less by similarities, although the Kohnians and Xoskeans have seen some cultural blending, and more so due to similar governance by their ruling nobility and a need for a strong defense against external threats. There isn’t a huge amount of interaction between the various ethnicities due to them occupying different regions of the country, although the Kohnians and Xoskeans do have a moderate amount of peaceful and largely beneficial interactions with each other.
The residents of the northern region of Cormyral, Acithans are fair skinned and commonly fair haired humans. As a whole Acithans are hard working and seem to be somewhat energetic. This makes them very industrious workers. Acithans have a rich tradition of literature, music, and dance. Much of Acithan music is traditional folk music, performed throughout the countryside by famous Acithan composers. Acithan music tends to have a strong dactylic rhythm. Thousands of pieces of masterfully written literature has been written in Acithan. Many of Acitha's more prominent literary works are ancient epics written to teach moral lessons. Sadly these works are barely known outside of Acitha as most have never been converted to another language.
The descendants of pastoral nomads, the Kohnian culture is still very much a horse culture. Most Kohnians own a horse, if not more, and all Kohnians have some experience riding one. They tend to prefer living in small villages and towns, although there are a handful of Kohnian settlements that could be called cities. Interactions with Xoskeans has led to the rise of Kohnian almehs, well educated female entertainers who are trained in singing, dancing, and reciting poetry. The rise of the almeh social class has led many to believe that all Kohnian women wear skimpy bedlah outfits and belly dance, something that not even all almeh do.
The inhabitants of Cormyral’s isolated west coast, the Siphonese are well known as a people of the arts and philosophy. Philosophy has played a huge role in Siphonese culture throughout the centuries as philosophers strived to find common ground between various religions. More recent philosophers have tried to link mathematics to philosophy, forming a new pseudo-science. Siphonese literature is focused more on the translation and interpretation of works from other cultures and less on the creation of new works. The same is true, to a lesser extend, about music and dances. Most “original” works of art that come from the Siphonese are actually hybrids formed from other cultures. Racially the Siphonese are fair skinned humans with dark hair and brown eyes.
The people of Cormyral’s southern islands, Xoskeans are primarily a race of people known as lamia. Lamia are an entirely female race of beings that possess the upper body of a female human or elf and the lower body of a snake. These beings are, on average, eighteen feet long from head to the tip of their tail, although it's not uncommon for individuals to reach thirty feet in length. While their upper bodies possess the strength of a human or elven woman, their lower bodies are immensely powerful and can crush a horse sized animal if given enough time. Despite this strength, or perhaps because of it, lamia don’t have nearly the same endurance as humans; they can’t fight as long as or march as far as humans before exhausting themselves. Naturally primarily nocturnal with the coming of civilization to their lands they now prefer the daytime. Lamia have the remarkable ability to sense the heat of other beings, allowing them to even identify the being’s location in many cases even in the dead of night. Lamia retain their youth for an additional twenty years longer than humans, but have lifespans that are roughly twenty years shorter. During the last ten years of their lives they age rapidly. They are noted as being abnormally beautiful, which is a good thing as they require the use of males from other species to reproduce. Because of this they have a fairly small population.
Military
The Cormyrean military has an emphasis on skirmishing and ranged combat. All Cormyrean soldiers have some capacity to fight at distance, whether they are bow cavalry or heavy infantry that use a throwing axe right before meeting the enemy in a charge. There is an especially heavy emphasis on the use of bow cavalry in Cormyral. Cormyrean soldiers tend to be lightly armored with leather lamellar armor. Heavy infantry and heavy cavalry are typically outfitted with iron scale or plated mail armor. Acithan and Siphonese soldiers can be expected to carrying arming swords, whereas those from Kohnia and Xoskea typically wield falcatas and kukris. Cormyral’s most iconic soldiers are its cataphracts, heavy cavalry that engage the enemy from afar with bows before charging in with melee weapons.
Light Infantry: The generic light infantry of Cormyral, these troops are equipped with a spear and bow, serving as both spearmen and general skirmishers. In most cases these soldiers have simple leather armor. They are noted as being modest archers and fairly subpar melee soldiers, relying on whittling down the enemy before engaging in a charge and overwhelming them with numbers.
Archers: These soldiers are levies from across Cormyral that showed some skill in archery. In many cases hunters or peasants who wanted to ensure they didn't become melee infantry, these soldiers are somewhat more skilled archers than the levies found in other countries. They are equipped with leather lamellar armor, a recurve bow, and many carry a melee weapon such as a long knife or arming sword.
Longbow men: Highly skilled archers, these men form an almost crucial part of any Cormyrean army. Essentially better than normal archers in every way, longbow men are also fairly competent in the use of an arming sword and are protected by mail armor. Because of this they are not only deadly at range, but also able to protect themselves and important defensive positions when forced into melee combat.
Green Coats: Named after their iconic green cloaks, green coat infantry are heavy infantry that use two handed claymore swords in battle. They were plated mail armor that typically has a single large plate on the chest to protect them from the front. These soldiers are great shock troops, able to route enemy formations quickly when employed right.
Anssee Company: Originating from the city of Anssee, the Anssee company is a mercenary group of heavy infantry. These soldiers are outfitted in plated mail armor, a simple wooden shield, and carry both a throwing axe and arming sword. Common practice is for these soldiers to throw their axes at the enemy moments before meeting them in melee in order to disrupt their formations. In many cases they are also supported by archers and pikemen from the same mercenary company.
Kohnian Gallowglass: These heavy infantry are well trained and equipped Kohnian aristocrats, namely from Southlee. These troops, considered by many to be elites, can be relied upon to hold a defensive position, unlike many other forms of Cormyrean infantry. Typically they wear either plated armor or scale mail armor. All Kohnian gallowglass are skilled in the use of both a falcata sword and bow.
Northern Gallowglass: Very similar to the Kohnian gallowglass, these soldiers are made up from Acithan and Siphonese aristocrats. More numerous in number than their Kohnian counterparts, northern gallowglass make up the bulk of Cormyral's heavy infantry. These soldiers rely on plated mail armor and shields for defense. In terms of armaments they carry two javelins, which can either be used as spears against cavalry or thrown at enemy infantry, and an arming sword. Unlike their Kohnian counterparts, northern gallowglass are much more offensive oriented.
Cormyrean Bow Cavalry: Lightly armored and armed, these soldiers make up the bulk of Cormyral's cavalry. These soldiers are all skilled in the use of bows, although they tend to be somewhat lackluster in a melee engagement. In most cases Cormyrean bow cavalry is equipped with leather armor and a recurve bow. Many, but not all carry a sword as well. Those originating from Acitha or Siphonia use arming swords while those from Kohnia, which make up the vast majority of these soldiers, carry falcata swords.
Cataphracts: Well trained and equippped, cataphracts are some of the most elite troops available to Cormyral. These soldiers are skilled with both the bow, blade, and other weapons. Like other bow cavalry, cataphracts will harass the enemy from afar with their bows. Unlike bow cavalry, however, these cataphracts do so with the full intent of charging into the enemy ranks afterwards. In most cases cataphracts are equipped with plated mail armor, although there are some rare cases of individuals obtaining full plate armor. Naturally they carry a recurve bow, lance, and other melee weapon dependent on what region they were recruited from. Acithan and Siphonese cataphracts usually carry a mace whereas Kohnian cataphracts carry falcata swords.
(Will be adding more detailed info later.)
Heroes
Lynette "The Lioness" Langelier: A master with the sword and true leader of men, the Lioness is Cormyral's greatest hero. Once the greatest military mind of Riawin, she led Cormyral to victory in the civil war after defecting.
Aldrick Cuvier: A well known womanizer, Aldrick is highly skilled with both swords and magic. His magic is primarily used to augment his swordplay and protect him from harm.
Cedric Girard: Cormyral's greatest mage, Cedric is an expert in offensive magic.
Soraya Kazemi: A master of mounted combat, Soraya is especially skilled with the use of a bow. The accuracy and force of her arrows has many believing that she has been blessed by the goddess of war.
History
Cormyral was first formed roughly twenty years ago. Tired of the Riawin Empress's curtailing of aristocratic power and influence, the nobility rebelled. With inferior wealth and manpower than Riawin, the rebels were forced to turn to the aid of outside sources, namely Mycae, to sustain the war effort. Even so they struggled to hold Riawin back and very rarely took to the offensive. This all changed when fifteen years into the war the "Lioness" of Riawin, Lynette Langelier defected to the rebellion. Within five years the war ended and Cormyral was formed.
Relations
Cormyral’s one and only rival is Riawin, which it only recently broke away from during a civil war. It views Riawin as an existential threat and is more than happy to work against it in just about all matters. Dakarragord and Mycea are viewed as both potential allies and very real threats. Mycae is especially a country of concern for Cormyral, thus may become a rival in the near future. Dakarragord is viewed as barbarians with a hint of civility. In time they may become a threat, but until Riawin has been neutralized they are a natural ally. The Sakabanatu to the north are considered a nonentity; normal has no real interactions with them beyond some minor trading.
Characters
The current ruler of Cormyral, Prince Madec was one of the first nobles to rebel against Riawin. At one time a warrior of no small skill, old age has taken most of his strength from him. He is also known to be somewhat paranoid, especially when it comes to Lynette Langelier, who he believes to be a threat to his power.
Arguably the greatest military mind of both Riawin and Cormyral, Lynette was at one time Riawin's top military leader. When the Riawin empress removed her from power Lynette defected to Cormyral. A true master with the sword, few one the continent can rightfully claim to be her equal.
A well known womanizer, Aldrick surrounds himself with beautiful women. He commonly comes off as being aloof, indifferent, and not particularly bright. This is, in large part, an act. His skill with the sword is not insubstantial. He augments this with his skill in sorcery, which is primarily used to augment his swordplay and protect himself from harm. While he does have some offensive spells available, most of them are fairly weak.
An expert in offensive magic, Credric is both Cormyral's greatest mage and the head of one of its more influential families. A somewhat eccentric man, he's been known to remain in seclusion for weeks on end as he performs magical experiments. While hating to take to the field of combat as it is both "dirty" and "uncivilized", he will if asked by Lynette or Aldrick, both who are personal acquaintances of his.
A Kohnian of the almeh social class, Soraya is the only hero of Cormyral that is not somehow involved in its governance, instead choosing to travel and see the world. She is a master of mounted combat and possesses tremendous skill in the use of a bow. The accuracy and force of her arrows has many believing that she has been blessed by the goddess of war.
”I had a dream. A dream in which a great darkness from the East spread across the continent. This darkness was angry and hurt; its lust for vengeance was so great that soaking the entirety of Askor in blood could do little but whet its appetite. It is coming. I have seen it. But fear not, for I have seen how to stop it.”
It was these words that the Prophetess spoke to the lords and ladies of the continent of Askor when she had a vision of the future. At first she was ignored, but when her prophecies proved correct time and time again a sense of dread began to creep into them. They couldn’t help but suspect that she could indeed foresee the future. Perhaps more terrifying for these lords was the fact that their peasantry had come to believe in the divinity of the Prophetess and were demanding that she be aided in her quest to stop the darkness.
Heroes and champions from across the continent answered the Prophetess’ call. Soon the Prophetess had a legion of these heroes and champions and they became known as the Silver Legion. The Prophetess and Silver Legion departed for the East, ready to fight the threat she had foreseen. The fight was a harsh one; ten years later the Silver Legion returned, two thirds of its men having passed away.
The continent of Askor had been subjected to droughts, famine, and terrible plagues during those ten years. Some of the people welcomed the Prophetess back as a true hero, their savior. Most viewed her as a terrible demon, the cause of all their pain and suffering over the past decade. The lords of Askor took advantage of this sentiment. They attacked the Silver Legion, killing it to a man, and captured the Prophetess. It is said that the Prophetess had one final prophecy as she was burned at the stake.
“Three hundred years will pass before you realize the terrible mistake you have made. Askor shall suffer through two decades of war before the East brings an even greater conflict.”
OOC
This world, in the event that you haven’t caught on yet, is a high fantasy one complete with magic, non-human races, and heroes who can change the courses of entire wars. It has been three hundred years since the passing of the Prophetess and her Silver Legion. The continent has seen its fair share of strife and peace since then, however the past twenty years has seen the entire continent embroiled in war, with all countries partaking in the conflicts. This has been, in large part, due to unknown entities influencing countries to wage war on each other. While this era of war seems to be coming to an end a new threat has arrived on the horizon: the Einherjar. As of the beginning of the RP they are an unknown entity: the countries of the continent do not know they exist and largely do not believe that there is a threat to the east.
Given the high fantasy setting technology will be that of the high middle ages (12th and 13th centuries), except more centralized governments will be allowed. In the interest of preserving the fantasy setting there will be absolutely no guns or gunpowder based weaponry. Magic will be a moderately common sight in the RP. In terms of combat strength the average magician is on par with a single warrior; the average mage will only kill one foe per spell, so don’t expect your run of the mill mage to kill scores of troops with a single fireball.
Rules 1) Don’t be a child. Seriously, if you can’t act like a reasonable human being then this simply isn’t the RP for. 2) You are expected to post 1-2 times every 7 days. Any more and you are liable to burn yourself, and others, out and any less and the RP will move along too slowly. If you do not make a post within 14 days with no prior warning you will be dropped from the RP. 3) This is an advanced RP. I expect you have to correct grammar and spelling in your posts, at the very least. One or two mistakes per post is fine, and expected, but if I see ten “teh”s in your post we will have a problem. 4) Please don’t join if you are going to disappear after one or two posts. You know who you are. 5) Just in case you missed it in the above section: guns and gunpowder based weaponry are not allowed.
Climate Map
Political Map Green Star - The Scaveni Kingdom
Country Name
Government
In short how is your country run? How is your ruler selected? How much power does your ruler have. Is it a monarchy, a republic, or something else? What is the ruling dynasty? I don’t want to see five paragraphs here about how your monarch has to go through parliament to select viceroys or something. It needs only be long enough to provide a sufficient summary of your government. Feel free to add additional info under a hider if you feel compelled to.
Geography
This should be more just a claim of your location. Talk about the climate, terrain, and important locations in your country. Specifically mention major cities and your capital. Bonus points if you have an internal map that includes highways.
Culture
Much like the government section, don’t drown us in details, though feel free to add more info under a hider or something. Is your country culturally homogenous or a mixture of ethnicities? Are your people humans or some other race? If you have various ethnicities, how do they interact with each other? What are your people’s values? Bonus points for adding insults they use to refer to the people from countries they have been at war with. A note about nonhuman races: do not simply make them arbitrarily superior to humans, if they are better than humans in one way then they will be inferior in another way.
Military
How do your people fight? What strategies and tactics do they usually employ? What sort of equipment do your troops use? What’s the emphasis of your military? Try to be somewhat unique here. If a pre-existing country makes heavy use of heavy infantry and shield walls, for instance, don’t do the same yourself. I am not interested in numbers or percentages, so don’t use them.
Heroes
Each country gets one superior hero and three normal heroes. In terms of combat strength expect a superior hero to be on par with about 150 men and normal heroes to be on par with 100 men. (Yes, this is the only place in the sheet where there are actually numbers) Basically these are the badasses of your country that you can use for point of view characters if you want. At absolute bare minimum you need a name and one line description of what your hero is good at; however, ideally this should be the largest section of your sheet. You can use any explanation you want for why your heroes are stronger than normal people. For example using magic, being blessed by a god, or simply being very skilled with their weapons. Also keep in mind that if a hero dies you can replace him or her with a new one.
History
A brief history of your country is fine, so long as you cover the last 20 or so years. I’m looking for more of a summary of important events than list of dead monarchs.
Relations
How does your country interact with its neighbors. I am not looking for a list of exports and imports, but feel free to add them if you want. At bare minimum I want a listed rival here, another country that yours viewed as an enemy and actively worked against during the past twenty or so years.
Characters
Optional section. Put any info about any characters here. Examples of this would be your kings or queens, military leaders, and non-hero “badasses”. You can also put more detailed info of your heroes here as well.
There any room remaining? I know there's quite a few private agreements about here. And the map is quite full so....
If so, would an undead faction be particularly objectionable?
We have a bit of space left in the south; however my immediate reaction is to not allow an undead race. If you want you are free to come to the chatzy and talk about your idea though.
Lord Zee
