In the old days, the forces of magic were held by all, and freely used by all. No one man or creature dared claim it's power all for himself, for the gods would strike down he that became too greedy for power. This was how it had been for untold eons, and how it should have been for years to come....

One man came to undo this balance, however, as like all who had been born without the ability to use magic, he became envious of those who so freely used that power. All around him the varied peoples of the realms used their power for everything from the necessary to the frivolous, and as time went on he became mad with his lust for that very same power. At first, he kept his aspirations simple, stealing the lives of those who needlessly flaunted their powers, and taking their power for his own with an arcane locket, but as he stole their abilities and began to use them for his own purposes, he began to lust for more power. Slowly, he began to slip into the shadows, higher profile people disappearing as he made his moves unseen by the authorities of the lands, until one day, everything stopped. His murderous spree ended as spontaneously as it began, and the guards had thought perhaps he had ended his own life, but the truth was more dangerous.

From a high-ranking magus, he had learned how the world gains its magic, of the pillars of creation, the World-Anchors. Spread across the world, across the infinite ocean and scattered among the varied realms, massive edifices of power stood as the anchoring point of all reality. Each of these points held together their realm and bound it to all others, creating a weave of realms all interconnected by the infinite ocean, and inhabited by myriad races and creatures. A dark plan formed in his mind as he learned more of these World-Anchors, and with the magus disposed of, he began his scheme, buying his immortality with the stolen souls of those he killed, and setting forth to corrupt or destroy the pillars of creation.

It all began with a realm whose name is lost to us, one that had been held by a culture who had become one with their land and flourished in a golden age of technology and magic. These were a people who had long ago lost the ability to consciously alter their environment, but instead subtly molded their lands according to their subconscious needs and primal directives. Inserting himself among these people, the man slowly worked his way up their ranks, watching their society work and whispering in the ears of those who knew would get him higher up, until this prince of lies had become advisor to the Imperial House. It was here that he started to weave his scheme, seeding a thought into the minds of those around him and giving in to the illusion of this false reality. At first, there was nothing, a few small disagreements between clans, political division for the first time in hundreds of years. As time went on, however, his idea took root, and one of the clans broke away from the Imperial House, declaring themselves gods of the people and showing how they could control their abilities.

His duty done, the Lying Man left the realm to ruin, turning only to watch as the people tore themselves apart in civil war and the World-Anchor succumbed to the powers of the people who lived there. Knowing now that his scheme was all too possible, the man made his move and traveled across all the realms, using his immortality and the apathy of the natives towards other realms to insert himself in their cultures and work discord from within. Realm after realm fell to his insidious workings, until only the central realms remained, a land where multiple diverse peoples had developed independent of the other realms and free of the influence of the World-Anchors. They too would fall, however, for the Lying Man used their differences against them, breeding a long war of racism and hate among the civilized cultures and watching them burn the the weaker nations as they tore clawed each other down.

Success was a poisoned fruit, however, for though he had but one World-Anchor left to destroy, the eternal energies of the world had awakened to his interference and these elder gods did not trifle with interlopers. As he stood before the foot of the final pillar of creation, an abomination of flesh and bone rent itself free from the cage of the World-Anchor, staring down upon the mortal being with a thousand-fold eyes and the gnashing of hundred pointed teeth. It spoke in a language that was not meant for the ears of the mundane, breaking the man into a pile of broken bones and sundered flesh as his mind was rent asunder.

"You who meddle, know that you have only created another world just like that which you despise. Know this in your final agony, that it is by your doing that this has been done."

Taking up the essence of the Lying Man, the entity breathed a new purpose into his broken form, and re-knit the world anew. Thousands of realms sprang up across the infinite ocean again, and with them the seeds of new civilizations. The World-Anchors were renewed, as if they had never been broken, and the central realms were restored, albeit still scarred from the wars that ravaged it. Knowing that to simply leave the world be as it was would only invite another such as the Lying Man, the primal entity sent the broken body of the man back down to the mortal plane and invoked it to become the seed for a new form of life. Unlike the other realms, this one would see a World-Anchor in the form of a living, breathing species. A race of demons who embodied the primal forces of reality and bent it to their whim.

In the first few eras of the central realms, the peoples of the realm feared these daemons, and many even went to war with them. Over time, however, they soon came to understand them, and even bargain with them for the use of their powers. Now, magic is once more prevalent among the central realms, albeit at the cost of one's soul...

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Welcome to Realms, a fantasy NRP that takes place within what is known as the Central Realms. For millennia, the people of the central realms have lived upon the four continents that make up these realms, ever aware of both the need and the threat of the demons which hold the power of magic over them. However, a new power is just now rising, a way of using the magics of the world without bargaining with demons, one from the old gods themselves. This is where your nation comes in, as you, the player, will play one of the nations of the central realms in this new era in which the face of magic will change forever. For which side will your nation fight? That is your choice to make.

The Rules

Since we're a small group and we all know each other(mostly =P), the rules are going to be rather short and sweet. First, don't be a dick. Honestly, you guys know what I'm talking about here. Second, play to weave a story, not a winning game. All of you that have received the invite into Realms are people who I know to put story first, and that's why I've selected you all personally. Really, that's about it, since we're all really in this to have a good time and make a good story.

Tech/Magic Overview

For magic, I'm going to keep it short and sweet: It's technically a mana-based system. You call upon/bind/whatever the demons or whatever, and expend them to cast spells or make others do your work for you. When doing so there's a cost involved, typically physical exhaustion, but higher level endeavors can cost more than that, so be wary. Technology wise, I'm thinking we can play it a bit fast and loose, and keep to a roughly medieval setting, with variation to allow for things that developed afterwards. All in all, when you are adding things to your nation, think of it first as "Does this make sense with my nation and how it operates?" If yes, then by all means. If no, then try again =P.

The NS

I was going to have some big, long and drawn out NS for everyone to fill out, but I think it would be a little easier on every one if we took a more fluid and adaptable approach. Essentially, in a post here in the OOC side, type up your "NS" in whatever way feels best for you, just as long as everyone knows the basics of your nation and is easily able to access what is needed in order to interact with them.

What should be in your NS:

Name
General overview
A history, at the very least recent history
Who lives in the nation
How the nation interacts with the land around them and the people living there.

The Wars of Providence

Figured this time I would take a more interesting approach to the whole "We're going to war with you!" thing that typically happens in NRPs. On the center island is a temple, which once every thousand or so years, opens and allows only one individual from all the lands to enter. This individual must be one who has proven themself against all others of the land, and therefore gained the right to entry. Upon entering the temple, this individual will undergo a series of trials that will weigh their character against that of the old gods, and should they be found worthy, they will be gifted with eternal life for both themself and one other they choose.

So, with all that being said, I think that's about it. If there's anything you guys need me to add, feel free to let me know over Skype or here. I'll post up the map here after work, as I'm currently operating on three hours of sleep LIKE A FUCKING BOSS.

Kyngdome of Engelond - The Kingdom of England

With God, For Queen and Country



Name:
The Kingdom of England

Major Species:
Humanity
Elves
Dwarves
Eireannach

Species Traits:
It's Humanity. Look in a mirror.

Brief Overview:

The Kingdom of England is arguably one of the most powerful and influential nations in the world today. Commanding a deep and innate understanding of gunpowder technology, and possessing a contender for the largest merchant marine (and armed navy) in the known world, England is a testament to the strength and ingenuity of sentient races to overcome obstacles and use technology to its fullest advantage. English magic is rare and limited in scope, used mostly to assist in the experimentation and advancement of technology for the greater good of the nation.

Shortly after the momentous peace deal that ended the Three Hundred Years War (or the Long War in the Hexarchy), King Richard IV passed away at the age of 51, succeeded by Queen Lucia I, and another new change was brought to the table between the English and the Drow: Queen Lucia, in a meeting with Ilharess Nathyrra Kilath in Renorchu'tgera, suggested what many thought to be unthinkable - political and territorial union. Ilharess Kilath promised to bring the matter to the Council, whereupon a fierce debate was had in the chambers between supporters of the Union, and opponents who wished to remain on cordial alliance terms with the English. For her part, Lucia I asked both the Royal Council and Parliament about their opinions on the matter, and whilst the Council were divided, the Parliament returned an almost unanimous message - Union it would be. With the stage set for the greatest about-turn in political history between the two nations, all that remained was the signing of the Act of Union, which was duly signed on the 18th of March, 1452 EC (English Common (E)ra). With the Act of Union signed, the Hexarchy of the Drow and the Kingdom of England were united into a single realm - The United Kingdom of England and the Subterranean, or simply put, the UK.

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Government type:
Despotic Bureaucratic Monarchy, with Absolute Cognatic Primogeniture succession laws.

Current Government:
Ruler - Her Supreme Majesty, Queen Lucia I Kavanagh, Queen of England
Consort - His Royal Highness King Raymond Kavanagh
Heir To The Throne - His Royal Highness The Prince Henry Kavanagh
Queen Dowager - Her Royal Highness, the Queen Mother Elizabeth de Brouillon-Kavanagh
Groom of the Stool - Sir Gaston Richmond
Royal Chancellor - Sir Thomas Dryden
Royal Marshal - Sir Edmund Lancaster
Chancellor of the Exchequer - Sir Caleb Kimberley
Master of Her Majesty's Spies - Princess Marianne Kavanagh, Princess of Eastmarch
Primate of Ængland - Archbishop Oliver Walker, Archbishop of Redhill
Master of the Swans - Sir John Wicklow
Seneschal of the Royal Court - Sir James Candler
Cupbearer to the Royal Family - Sir Henry of Stokeham

Important Members of the Nobility:
Duke Andrew II Blunden, Duke of Gainsborough
Duke Stephen Amford, Duke of Lorringdale
Duke Gabriel Morden, Duke of Stamfordshire
Duchess Sophie I Syndale, Duchess of Northwich
Duke John V de Vere, Duke of Tyneshire
Duke Edward III Broke (pronounced 'brook'), Duke of Mornington
Earl William III Marshal, Earl of Camberwick

Generals of the Realm:
General John French, Lord French of Wivenhoe
General Henry Amersham, Lord Amersham of Stoneborough
General James Thorpe, Master of the Royal Artillery
General Sir Thomas Rainhill
General Rebecca Churchill
General Hannah Marshall
General Lucas Stainham
General Robert Hardwick

Admiral Sir Joseph Chattington
Admiral Sir Stuart Stratford
Admiral Sir Alastair Pritchard
Admiral Sir Lucius Turnpike

Military:
The Infantry:
The infantry of the Kingdom of England has always been the strongest of the land-based forces.

The backbone of the Kingdom's heavy infantry force are made up of halberdiers. Trained and equipped to fight with long halberds, these soldiers can fend off cavalry and crush many kinds of enemies depending on what part of the halberd they hit them with. Well trained, these companies specialise in assaults or the close defence of pike squares, and are adept both on the attack and the defence, able to storm fortresses or hold the line against whatever horrors they may face in defence of Queen and Country.

Alongside the halberdiers in the lines of infantry that form the bulk of the Kingdom's armies stand the feared 'fire-spitters', or 'hell-raisers', or whatever the foes of the English may face call them. They are the musketeers of England, and they are armed with the latest and most up-to-date weapons of the age: the percussion musket. By utilising a paper cartridge that contains a quantity of fulminate of mercury powder, which is ignited by a striking mechanism, the percussion musket allows English gunners to fire and reload more quickly than their older wheellock muzzle-loaded muskets. The fulminate of mercury ignites the gunpowder in the paper cartridge which expels the bullet down the barrel. After firing, the barrel is broken open via a lever operated by the trigger guard and the next bullet is inserted, before snapping shut the barrel and re-priming the firing mechanism.

A third, although antiquated, part of the Kingdom's foot armies is that of the 'old guard' - the longbowmen, heavy swordsmen and billmen, all of which have been thought to have been superseded by the New English Army.
In the English Army, longbowmen now sign a contract of indenture with a captain to become part of his retinue or company. The captain then 'hires' out their services to the king in theory, although in practice such men serve for as long as they can in the armed forces, paid for by the treasuries of the Kingdom. Such men are professionalised soldiers, and highly skilled archers. They are well armoured and equipped and confident in their own abilities.
The age of the sword in melee combat is coming to an end for the English Army. Whilst in days gone by, the armoured swordsmen of the Army reigned supreme over other infantry, the age of the musket has brought this dominance crashing down. Nevertheless, for fighting against armies that cannot be stopped by halberd and shot alone, the English Army maintains a small force of skilled swordsmen to this day, at considerable cost to the treasury.
The bill is a typically 'English' weapon. Billmen in days gone by performed the role of spearman and heavy infantry both. Now, however, the billman's days are almost over as a true fighting force - no polearm is deadlier than the halberd, and musket fire renders the billhook powerless to respond. Nevertheless, some generals still swear by the billhook. Considered by those generals to be the pinnacle of English commoner infantry, the billman of today is still equally comfortable in both attack and defence. Wielding the billhook allows the billman to hack, stab and chop if needed and being encased in anything from half to three quarter plate armour means they can shrug off most blows.

The Artillery:
Supporting the foot troops are the cannons of the Queen's Artillery Regiments. Divided between three main types of artillery, the guns of England are the most feared instrument of war short of outright magic. Able to devastate ranks of closing infantry, send walls tumbling to the ground, or even hole ships at sea and secure the waves for His Majesty, the gunners of the Artillery Regiments are veterans of their art, trained and hardened in the fires of war. In addition, the crews of the artillery guns are equipped to a standard that is 'unbecoming of mere artillerymen' according to some old-fashioned generals. However, the 'mere artillerymen' in question have turned the tide of battles with their thundering salvoes, and brought fortresses crashing down.

The main cannon in the Artillery Regiments is the culverin. The Culverin is a fearsome piece of artillery, first used in the Battle of Trenthill during the Second Civil War. It utilises advanced metallurgy techniques, superior construction and better trained crews to outrange and outshoot nearly all preceding bombards. Able to fire solid or burning shots, the culverin is devastating against enemy walls and lethal against enemy soldiers. Many battles have been turned about by the decisive fire these monsters of artillery have provided.
The supporting cannons to the culverins are the sakers. Sakers are medium cannon, slightly smaller than a culverin, developed after the Second Civil War as a supporting gun, as it was found that culverins often fired too slowly. Saker shot is designed to bounce on the ground and plough straight into massed lines of infantry, throwing men's bodies left and right as if they were bloodied ragdolls. Saker fire is a withering hail of cannon fire that often forces the enemy to break and run, lest they be massacred by the English cannon. When sakers and culverins fire as one battery, even the largest castle wall will fall, and all but the most sturdy of infantry will dare to charge into the jaws of musket and cannon fire.
The third cannon type fielded by the English is the mortar. Resembling the iron bowl from which it gains its name, the mortar was created to lob shots over intervening walls. Useful in dealing with companies skulking behind walls for protection, or to whittle away besieging soldiers outside walls, the mortar's capabilities makes it an excellent siege weapon for both attacker and defender. Mortars on the open field are rare, as their trajectory is more suited for siege warfare, nevertheless the sight of iron shot landing amongst your comrades as you march forward is detrimental to an enemy's morale. After all, he might be next...

The Cavalry:
English cavalry has gone through several phases of existence. In the beginning, the English cavalryman was a noble, a knight who ruled over a fief of land granted to him by counts, barons and earls, who in turn were granted their lands by the Dukes and the King. The English knight was at the very heart of feudal England, and as a result the knights were often only committed into battle at the last opportunity - the phrase 'Gone to the Knights' is a term used by the English to describe a battle that has gone to the very end - the battle has lasted so long that the knights have been committed into action to try and win the day for the King. The old English knight was encased in mail and fought with a lance and sword, charging into the enemy ranks like the sledgehammer force they were in the old days. However, with the march of time, the knight has had to change, mould and adapt to the passage of technology. Next came the half-plated knight, or the stereotypical 'feudal knight', who was armoured in partial plate armour, with a lance and longsword. However, even this proved ineffective with the march of time, for cavalry required even more fear factor, even more punch and more power. The result was the Winged Hussar regiments.

After the First Civil War, Hussars began to replace the knight as the main cavalry arm of the English Army. After the Second Civil War (some 40 years later), they adopted plate armour. Professional soldiers, equipped in plate armour, a steel helmet, a war lance and a sabre, these proud and headstrong cavalrymen's usual tactic is an immediate charge. Although their tactics are simple, they are devastatingly effective, and the Winged Hussars have turned the tide of many a battle the English have fought, for the just when the battle seems lost, the Hussars sweep into the fray, crashing headlong into their enemies, sending them fleeing the field, lest they be skewered on a lance, or cut down by their sabres.

The Royal Navy:
"The Royal Navy is our Wooden Wall. It is our first line of defence against those who would threaten our nation. It is our primary method of attack. Our Navy is the most feared fighting force on the seas, and we intend to keep it that way." - Admiral Sir Stuart Stratford

The Royal Navy of England is the most powerful of the arms of the military. Hundreds of oak-framed ships, bristling with cannons, muskets and rifles. Each ship is designed to be a gun-armed fighting machine, with relatively few soldiers on-board in favour of gunners, and trained sailors, as well as marines to repel boarding actions. The gun-decks of the Royal Navy are a frightful place to be in the middle of combat, with cannons firing almost at all times, especially when both sides of the ship are in action, with bloodied crewmen, severed limbs and thick gun-smoke proving too much for all but the hardiest of sailors. Thankfully, the English sailors are truly men of iron, for they will give anything for Queen and Country, no matter the foe.

Economy:
"Strong, stable, and with a focus on bullionism, one would have to look hard to find a rival to the English economy." - Ryndyrra Aleaniryn, in A Treatise on English Economic Practices

Cities:
Carlingford: Population 450,000
Amersham: Population 65,000
Martlesham: Population 25,000
Northwich: Population 22,000
Oldbury: Population 20,000
Kingsfield Heath: Population 19,000

Religion:
The main religion of the English is that of the 'One True Faith', also known as Deism. The English believe in a single god, who created the world and gave rise to all of the world's creations over the course of human history. Deism, however, has been divided over the centuries, with different factions of the Deist faith competing for influence and power in the King's Court. The most important and influential factions are listed below:

Mordenism
Named after Julius Morden, the Bishop of Coldford during the 1190s who developed the faction, Mordenism is a splinter faith of Deism in the Kingdom of England. Mordenists believe that the Deist faith should hold supreme over all others, even to the point that foreign faiths and religions should be destroyed with fire and sword. Mordenist ideology holds that England is the only godly nation in a world of heresy and witchcraft, and that only by defending the world from the black magics of heretics and heathens can Englishmen truly achieve eternal life in paradise after a glorious death. Mordenists are also fierce proponents of crusades, which are seen by others in England as unwanted wastes of time and energy, but to Mordenists they are essential for the salvation of others in the world. In addition to this, Morden argued that the human race was the supreme race in the world, and that its destiny, and the destiny of England, was to rule the world as a humano-centric nation.

Keynesianism
Named after John Keynes, the philosopher and clergyman during the 800s, Keynesianists are the dominant faction of the Deist faith, commanding the loyalty of most of the Kingdom's population. Keynes asserted that Deism was but one aspect of the worship of the One True Faith, and that other religions were different interpretations of the many aspects of God, as should be treated with the respect that was afforded to the Deist religion in England. This conflicts with Mordenism's argument that Deism was superior to all other faiths, and as a result bitter theological debates were had between supporters of Keynes' view of alternative faiths, and Mordenists wishing to purge the world of other religions. Keynesianists as a result see Morden's 'Treatise on the Crusade' as a work of needless fantasy and fiction, not a text to be revered and held as an example of how to interact with other faiths - indeed, Bishop Richard Cunningham wrote a stinging rebuttal of the Crusade in his book 'Interacting with the World'. Furthermore, Morden's assertion that the human race was the one true superior above all is derided and bitterly opposed by Keynes' followers - they see the variety of races as but an example of the limitless possibilities of life and creation, and see half-bloods as the mixing together of two different examples of creation, coming together to create something that not even the Creator could manage. Keynesian Deism is seen by outsiders to the Kingdom as the 'official' religion of England, which is perhaps just as well, considering the negative reactions most have to Morden's views.

Society:

"To brew so-called 'English tea', one brings the tea leaves to boil with water for a good time, and then the brewer should add a considerable amount of cold milk and one or two spoons of cane sugar. This, according to the English, is a most refreshing drink, and it can be found in almost every major English settlement." - Liam O'Callaghan, A Treatise on English Drinking Habits

"Tea and coffee in England is akin to beer to the Dwarves - it is inseparable from the concept of the English nation. Alcohol is frowned upon by Englishmen - it is thought to be uncivilised and mentally unclean, in that it provokes violence in those too inebriated to think." - Hubert Pugh, England and the English

Everyday Life in an English Town:
The average townsman of an English settlement can expect to be woken up by bells ringing at dawn to signify a new day in the Kingdom. Townsfolk, contrary to popular belief, are not self-contained people, who go about their business uncaring for those around them, and it is likely that people will greet their neighbours across the street, or maybe next door. Houses in English towns are built of brick and stone, rather than the wood and plaster of old feudal England or the Vikingr, and as a result, epidemics of disease such as the plague are much less common than in less well-developed settlements. A townsman's day usually begins in the coffeehouse or teahouse - places where the average man or woman off the street can go in, buy a drink and chat with their friends and acquaintances, reading the latest news from other nations and their own, transmitted to the printing presses of the nation by magical telegraph networks that were built by the Crown at great expense to the royal treasury. Unlike in some other nations, you can expect a townsman to be literate and competent with basic numeracy - even the majority of women in the kingdom are literate and take part in local politics and newspapers.

The first thing that most people visit when in a town is the marketplace. Here, all manner of fruits, vegetables, meats and other products are available to buy for a commoner with a bit of coin in his purse. The English currency, the pound sterling, is named so after the sterling silver used to mint the most common English coins - the shilling (worth fivepence), the tenpenny, the fifthpound and the half-pound. The most common large English coin is the gold pound itself, with the guinea worth two pounds. The price of food is relatively stable, give or take a few pence per year. An apple might cost a ha'penny, a loaf of bread a penny, and an orange might be worth tuppence. The average weekly wage of a townsman in an unskilled town job varies from region to region, though it is roughly about 50p a week, more than enough for food and clothes for yourself and maybe a wife. If the wife works as well, you can expect to feed a family fairly well. There have been moves by certain town councils and members of the gentry to introduce a minimum wage for the English nation - in Carlingford, for example, there is a trial scheme that provides a minimum wage to all workers of 35p a week.

The higher up the social ladder you are in England, the better paid you will likely be, with some gentry making truly vast sums of money. However, they do not have to lug around huge sacks of coinage about - since the banking reforms of Henry IV some 50 years prior to the present day, the banks of England are licensed to use 'bank notes', which can be exchanged in lieu of coinage to pay for goods and services. Bank notes are essentially slips of paper that are issued by a bank that can be used as an I.O.U. by the vendor to obtain money from the bank. However, to prevent money laundering, each slip of paper has a magical rune that is unique to that note and cannot be copied - if the rune is copied, both copies of the rune will vanish and the banknote will be worthless. Banknotes have standard issue denominations as of the Second Reforms - these are a pound, five pounds and ten pounds for common folk, printed on paper and assigned a rune.

Ideology:

"With God, For Queen and Country" is the Kingdom's motto. Englishmen and women fight fiercely to defend their crown and homeland from foreign invaders, sometimes enduring terrible hardships as they do so. They are driven by a deep love of their country - some argue an almost-fanatical sense of patriotism is what has made the English the civilisation they are today. English policy is guided by three major concerns: the people, wealth, and power. Wealth and power is self-explanatory, but it is notable that the English government is unlikely to enact a law or act that threatens the happiness, well-being or prosperity of the population - it is this that has allowed the English to avoid revolution time after time, when other nations might have crumbled in the face of popular discontent.

Place holder.